THE BALL

*photo by Abby Ruppert A lone ball awaits patiently,

Cheerfully lonely,

Basking bobbing about,

Suspended?

In sunbaked pool,

For, its playmate has

Gone by way of another.

Will it wait forever,

For love to return,

Or whilst it wither,

Waste away and shrivel,

In the desperation of longing?

Will another,

Perhaps quite young,

And playful,

Come to play,

Today even or,

Some other day?

And like so many before,

Who appear from nowhere,

Leave, forlorned,

That quite cheerful,

Rubber ball of air.

Author’s Note: Abby, again your photo becomes a poetic treatment from me. Perhaps, a wedding where the bride chooses groom over an awaiting ball, batted about in laughter and pool play, earlier that day or perhaps from present or past memories of an old man on a mountain, remembering what was or could have been, had he chosen.

As a pilot in a spin will tell you “Step on the ball!” Or as Ty Webb (Chevy Chase) says in Caddyshack, “Be the ball! Be the ball, Danny!” Abby sent me this photo forty minutes ago, I was instantly inspired from whence I know not, but the Spirit took my pen and voila! I sometimes wait to publish. Nope! Not today. I put it up, immediately upon completion, for all to enjoy, as you search your own personal memory bank for meaning. Enjoy!

Addendum 6/13/24: It’s uncanny how artists sometimes cross paths. Fox Smith is an accomplished artist. He shows his artwork thru Spoonbill Gallery in Greenville, SC. You can follow him on Facebook @Ralston Fox Smith. He has a famous painting of a suspended Beach ball. I have the above poem “The Ball.” Serendipity.

tom tenbrunsel

Poet Laureate of My Domain

photo, “Gordon Lodge on North Bay,” by Abby❤️