The gym brought me 

My

Basketball,

Three years old playing, 

With men's basketball.

Shorts,

Are

longer than lebron james,

Career. 

Gym ole gym

Floors as shiny as

My old math teachers,

Bald forehead, 

hitting the floor

As if an

Elephant herd

Was after

Me, 

Exciting matches,

Cheering,

Clapping,

And coaching, 

All of it I love.

Refs whistle as loud

As a judge’s gavel.

Everyday

Was a good day

With my basketball.

Basketball

Hits the floor

Almost 

As if it sounds

Like a baby bird's chirp,

Sweat dripped

Down 

My face 

As if someone 

Poured a bucket of pure

Conditioning over my head.

Oh how much

I love you. 

I can't live without you.

You had 

Bruises on you,

As if 

They were

Tire marks,

It had my name on it

My favorite basketball

Number 11,

You belonged to me.

My favorite

Person in the world, 

Did dances

Around me everyday, 

Liked to jump

A lot higher

Than most 

People. 

Loved to be 

A silent but obstructive

Type of person. 

It had no filter.

I wish I could bounce 

Back in time

To play with it

Like the old days, 

My basketball 

Was like

My best friend, 

It was 

Like us 

Against the wolves. 

Someone 

Who walked by my 

Side everyday, 

Clicking 

Onto me like 

A safety 

Pin 

Holding my schoolwork 

Together. 

Scary to ever think 

Of it popping,

Bloating, 

Or throwing up 

All of its guts because,

Of one 

Hard punch. 

Stored 

You for as long as 

I could remember, 

Played 

With you for 

As long as i could 

Remember, 

We had heart to hearts, 

Balled 

My eyes out to you, 

And definitely balled with you. 

I’d always 

Wait for you, 

Excited to play, 

Fulfilled 

With 

You and sad 

When you're not around. 

Always felt 

So cold 

But my sweat 

And hands 

Warmed you, 

As if it 

Were winter 

And I was your coat. 

The moral 

Of my ode is this:

Love is 

Passionate as 

Love can be, 

And what is 

Hardly 

Worked for,

Matters 

To someone 

Out there starting a sport.