right hand pointing

 

  Serving

Allen Smith
 

 


Toss the ball high as the lawn,
crawling up through the fence like ivy,
to find the perfect height,
like a singer struggling for the right pitch.

I keep in mind the motion of a pitcher,
the one Dad has me practice in the front yard,
throwing a baseball instead of this yellowish-green fuzz.
This is the motion I strive for afternoons,
summers,
with balls in nets, squares and fences
and back in the ball hopper.
I court both sides
with my racquet the ultimate gavel.

Though never lolling in the grass,
there is in me not a hint of yellow, just green.

 

 

 

  

Allen Smith's poems have appeared in Crucible, Maryland Poetry Review and
the Urban Hiker, among other publications. He is the editor of the ADA
Compliance Guide.