Tennis for the Blind

I played the game,
took my side of the net
and played
the best I could
the best I knew
lobbed ball after ball
fair shots, all,
shared good volleys,
you could hear my laughter,
I could hear your smile…

Even when the ball
did not return
still I played
and played
looked for,
waited for returns
that did not come…

I served at last
the last ball that I had
and waited…
listened blindly
to the shadows…
felt at my back
when the sun went down
and knew the time had come.

I lay my racket down
and go.

_{May 2011 CL Redding
revisions 2024}