little boys

shuffle, side-step
on the hardwood
hittin' chest to
    chest thumping
bravo boys
   dodge, glide
       dip
   finger-roll, wrist
       flips
the sphere into the air
with grace
   defying gravity
in a french pastry
   rock the cradle
     reverse lay-in...
swish it, dish it
    serve it up on
      the scoreboard
in multiples of deuce
man...those boys can move

god, to be ten again

they grin
   still friends though
one'll lose, one'll win
and "hey man, gonna rack you up!"
   "not if I rack you first!"

they just wanna play

as manic, pot-bellied pops
   go 
    toe-to-toe 
on the sidelines
in a belligerent 
    silverback battle
  to relive glory through
    little boy eyes

- j sheridan fenn ca. 1996