Poetry Challenge Day 5: Moment

Driveway Basketball

The summer sun was bright

Gatorade bottles lined the bumper

of our minivan

My shirt dark with sweat

There is a universal moment all fathers

Must undergo

    We are different men on the other side

    and so are our sons

We always played best of 5

    I had never lost a series 

Games played to 11

    have to win by 2

The three point line was the last section of the driveway

My son was in junior high

I was a year into 40

    I was now looking up to him

The series tied 2 games to 2

Game 5

    I found myself down

        and winded

        my legs wobbly

    shots blocked when I drove

        short when I found space to shoot

Maybe it was the sweat in my eyes

    but when he checked the ball

    I swore I could see him five years in the future

A young man

    confident 

        and strong

I called timeout

I needed a drink

He took one, too

    but we were quiet

    there was more than the summer heat in the air

   

My son only need a point to win

    I needed six to tie

As I asked him to check

    I felt my heartbreak like it had done so many times before

A father’s heart is scarred from both joy and pain

    moments of joy hurt the most

        I steadied myself for the outcome

I drove left

Crossed over to the right

    pulling up for a jumper

He elevated to block the shot

    knocking it past the check line

Before I could even turn around

    the ball was approaching the rim

Nothing but net

He yelled, “Yes!”

Exhausted I dropped to the concrete

The sky was a cloudless blue

Silence

My son’s smile and hand appeared above me

“Good game,” he said, 

like we always do

I said 

“You earned that,” as he helped me up

I turned around 

    On the grey concrete a dark imprint of my torso

    like the body outline of a murder victim

It wasn’t a crime scene, though

It was a right of passage

    For both father and son

Collection of Very Short Stories

I have started to be more active with the Twitter hashtag #vss365. I don't write for every prompt,  but I've used the opportunity to expand my writing. I thought it would be fun to share some of the stories here. Each day has a different word to be included in the story.

They swore they would be #allies. They were too nervous to actually cut their palms to make it a blood pact, so they used their ice cream cones. 30 Years later. His hands clean, his arms scarred. They shared an ice cream cone in the hospital room. Both teary-eyed. #vss365

"Just a #request..." she said. He walked around the front of the car. He opened the door and reached his hand out. She placed her hand in his. "Anything for you, my love," he said as she stood up. She hit the garage door button as the kids rushed them. #vss365

The buzzer went off, but Kevin knew he had released the ball before the sound, it was traveling a perfect arch, but to the right. Time slowed. His heart sank as the ball faded more to the right... then banked hard off the glass, rim and in! The gym sounded like #pride #vss365

Year: 2103. The #mules were packed. It’s been 4 months. The town was quiet. His children looked at him, uncertainty welling in their eyes. The truth he felt was unspeakable, so instead he said, “We’ll be OK.” #vss365

She stood in the bathtub with her teddy bear #Enchanted. Her feet covered in flour (that made a trail back to the kitchen). The house was so quiet. She could feel the magic. In a bolt she rushed to the window to see if it worked. Nothing. She had school tomorrow. #vss365