Our young boys have been playing Nerf Basketball in their room almost constantly since the holidays. It’s amazing to listen to as they crash the boards, shoot free throws and come up with imaginary teams and players. To us, down below, it sounds as if the house is coming apart at the seams as they jump and play.
So, for another installment of my One Poem Every Month for a Year project, I present a tribute to the March Madness in my house.
Nerf Ball Boys
(March 2007)
Slamming, Jamming, Quiet!
It’s like a riot up there
as feet take to air
and come crashing back down to the ground —
the house shaking with the fury
of the nerf ball boys in constant, ever-active motion.
They drive to the basket as Yao Ming ducks his head,
Shaq elbows his way into the action,
Kobe shows amazing reaction
to the defenders and dives over Bird for the dunk.
Not like Mike, but close.
The nerf ball boys are at it again
When will this ever end?
The game is on the line and then
the fake — left, then right, a turn of the screw,
and he’s gone right past you, the crowd roars —
I can’t take this anymore —
The basket breaks into pieces like plastic confetti,
and tumbles to the ground as the buzzer sounds
and the nerf ball boys collapse into a heap of glory
and that’s when they begin to tell the story
of the last minute heroics that brought the crowd to its feet.
Peace (with teamwork),
Kevin
Hey Kevin,
Love your poem and can I relate! Eric (now 14) tells me to pass on to you that it never stops. The court just gets bigger spilling out the door into the hall, through the living room and into the kitchen. Over the years bigger and better balls are found, laundry baskets sometimes take the place of nerf hoops–and with three of them, he said soon they’ll discover with a good role of duck tape they can place several hoops in one room. Look out!
No — Not the tape!
🙂
Thanks, Susan.
Kevin