Monday, March 27, 2023

THE POSSESSION ARROW -- Part #1

THE LUCKY BOUNCE

 Jake

 

Looking up toward the sky.

The orange ring

hangs ten feet off the ground.

White net sways in the breeze.

 

Mom hands me the ball.

Says, “Happy sixth birthday."

I pull off the blue bow

and start dribbling.

 

Moment of truth.

Standing before the basket,

gathering all my strength,

tossing up my first shot.

 

The ball sails

under the hoop,

under the net,

and bounces off the back pole.

 

It rolls past Dad,

through my outstretched arms,

down the driveway,

directly into Adam and his dad

as they walk by.

 

Adam brings back the ball.

Our dads lower the hoop

and we play two-on-two,

boys against dads.

 

High fives

with every shot we make.

Every steal we take.

We beat our dads

We can conquer the world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

That day,

under the hoop,

Adam and I make a pact--

teammates always,

straight through to

the NBA.

 

 

HERO OR JESTER

 Adam

 

Hanging outside school.

Parking lot

after the game

rewinding those final seconds

performing my one man reenactment:

Ball passed to me at the point.

Jorganson breaks for the hoop.

Clear passing lane.

He catches the ball high.

Slams it home.

 

Everyone laughs at my rendition

of his wacky victory dance--

head bobbing,

limbs flailing,

desperately searching for rhythm.

 

Celebration

crashes in an instant.

 

Sound of crushing metal

rips through our eardrums.

Why no shriek of skidding tires?

No horn?

No warning?

 

My body shifts to automatic,

runs toward the screams.

Didn't it get the memo?

Off-court I’m the jester,

not the knight

in shining armor.

 


My eyes widen.

Half a block ahead

tiny blue car

T-boned by a giant pickup,

steam rising

like a dragon standing over

its prey.

 

Truck driver

stumbles out in front of me.

I catch the evil stench--

alcohol on his breath.

mixed with

a steaming radiator

 

I peer in the car window,

From the passenger side.

Slumped over the wheel

red hair

matted

streaked with redder blood

I know Ali's face

from math tutoring last year

and because

Jake's wanted to get with her

since freshman year.

 

I reach through the broken window

pull open the locked door.

Ali -- motionless.

An occasional whimper

the only sign of life.

I thrust the seat back

struggle to free her pinned body

but what is the smell?

A broken bottle of

Eau de Math Geek Cologne?

No, wrong time for a joke.

Hero mode.

Concentrate.

 

Then as I pull her free

I know the real answer,

too late.

The smell--gasoline.



OUTCAST

Jake

 

Trying to hang with Adam

and varsity, after the game.

Standing on the fringe

feeling invisible

until the school rent-a-cop

walks up to me

and suggests

we all head for home

like someone on JV

has anything

to say about it.

 

I keep wondering

how did I wind up on Junior Varsity?

Did I play it too safe?

That’s what Adam said.

 

I say it’s the new kid’s fault,

Jorganson.

I keep hoping

he’ll fail a class,

break a leg,

or go back where he came from

and give back my spot on varsity

where players have names

other than #45 or you.

 

That's when I hear it.

Metal to metal destruction

followed by eerie silence

and then by screams.

 

Adam takes off running.

His motivation?

No clue,

but we follow,

slowed by the crowd

filling in his wake.

 


Red lights flashing in the distance

sirens growing louder.

I swallow hard as I recognize

Ali's car.

Could it be a different blue Focus?

Then I see

the crumpled license plate,

“PI DAY”,

In honor of her birthday

March 14th.

 

A crowd stands watching

cell phones at their ears

or pointed to snap pictures.

A lone person

is trying to help

I push by a couple varsity guys

and start toward the car.

Jorganson grabs my shoulder,

hard.

“Don't you smell the...”

The explosion smothers his words.

 

 

SERENITY

Ali

 

A strange serenity surrounds me

Wind against my face

Combing through my hair

Strong arms wrapped around me

Nestling me

Guiding my flight.

 

If only I could always be

Lois Lane.

 

Adam already is--

"Superman."

 

  Copyright  ©  2023 by James Danielson 

  All rights reserved.

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