Saturday, August 10, 2019
Learning a Role
Fussy and Professory way
to class,
passing an earnest
playground
basketball game.
“Hey!” yells
Captain Afro,
“need a body!”
“But...love to…
RUSHING TO CLASS!”
Chinese youngster
(that’s right) convinces me
I can spare the few minutes.
We play! Move the ball
around till one of us
gets open for a shot.
Things go fast!
Until strange in-
effectual lull.
Remembered as
almost sleep-walking:
I have the ball,
basket large!
What the hell,
I shoot!
Captain stops game
with jabbering
Chinese support!
“YOU don’t shoot!
WE shoot! You PASS!”
“To ME just once!” chimes
in Yellow Peril--his nickname.
Oh well, my game
ends as regular arrives.
Black guy whitely
scarred, and
transcendentally important-
ly, allowed to shoot!
