BASKETBALL
20 seconds
Huffing and puffing, we ran
Back
And  forth
And
Back on the court.

I could feel myself,
Heat up,
Like water in a boiling pot.

2 seconds
Our
Teammates cheered,
“WOOOOOO!”
But the basketball
Bounced
   OFF
The backboard and right
   OUT.

I could hear the heavy sighs,
Teasing me,
Screaming in my ear,
“You almost did it.
But almost wasn’t
Enough.”
People even had hands cupped over their faces
Hiding as much shame as I tried to that day.

“BEEP BEEP!”
The whistle tweeted.

It felt like the end of my world to me.