The Ball Was In My...

There was a time when
We used to play ball,
Many afternoons spent
Of you driving one out
And me hitting air
I blamed my bat
But I was okay
There was always tomorrow
We never ran out of balls.

In the summer
Dodgeball came ‘round
You couldn’t hit me
I was swift like a bird
(Wait a minute)
You hit me a few
It hurt like hell
But everything was fine
And I was all right.

Four o’clock, every day
The court was our place
I never ran so much
Yet you kept me at bay
Your control of the ball
Almost too fluidic
I had no chance
Still, I had fun.

These later days,
Now that you’ve left
Something is missing
Emptiness leaves me sore
Nothing’s challenging anymore
And these new kids here?
They do their own thing.

--Ryan Viloria