Above me, green pom-poms rustle in the trees like the ones my sister held above the artificial turf at our high school games. Legs pale blades on a windmill kicking high with shiny soles on the ends. I was the ogre under the bleachers back then, hell, maybe I still am. The sky beyond the stadium lights, one big black eye boxed between metal seats. This was back when the stench of a stranger’ sweaty leg was all part of the game.
“Sure, I’ll take another drag,” I responded to someone I can’t remember, pinched and inhale as deeply as I could that little bit of pollution, held it until the runner on the field was tackled to the pelting applause overhead like the cracking of helmets. Maybe there was brightness up there at one point, but I couldn’t see it through the cracks. I was never that good at the game.
After each big hit
Treetops cheer for the home team
Search for rising stars
© 2022 | K.Hartless
This piece was written for Haibun Monday: Look Up! hosted by merrildsmith. Join us.
Yard Sale of Thoughts 
This is a great write K, enjoyed it! In high school, I was the guy taking the hit (on the field). 🙂
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Thank you. Oh man, and we both ended up with the same brain damage, I imagine. Nice to reconnect, Rob.
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You paint the scene well, great piece!! 👏👏
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Well done, my older brother was taking hits on the field, my youngest was delivering hits and I was enjoying it all from the stands, waiting for the cheerleaders and the bands!! 😊🏈
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😉 Sounds like you had the perfect middle view. Thank you. I actually dreaded all social gatherings back then. Okay, I sort of still do.
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Luv the way you wove the scenery into the action of the game.
Thank you for dropping by to read mine
Much💚love
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Thank you, Gillena. I appreciate you. 💜
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great word pictures, esp ‘legs pale blades on a windmill kicking high’; love that little haiku at the end —
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Thank you, John. A haiku flashback, this one. Haven’t been in a stadium since then.
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❤️☺️🥰
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Thank you, John. 💜
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You are welcome. ☺️
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Oh, the days of youth and carefree life that we knew would never end! Well done.
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Yes, indeed. Dwight. But I’m glad they did as they weren’t my best, by far. Thank you for reading and commenting, friend.
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:>)
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Awesome write, K. Was never on the field, maybe under the bleachers though. 😁
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A fellow underling. 😁I should have known it. Those games were scary, anyways, best to stay hidden.
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Indeed. 😁 Ah, scary for sure, hidden is best.
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Maybe expecting stars to rise was mistaken. So much is when we’re school age. The scene is unfamiliar to me, but I think I can imagine it 🙂
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Thank you, Jane. I’ve missed your wisdom. You are right here, of course. It doesn’t bode well to expect excellence in even the night sky.
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Stars just do what they have to do. We ‘expect’ and ‘demand’ and ultimately, we make ourselves unhappy.
I’m sorry, I’ve not had much time to participate and now WP is punishing me. If I didn’t ‘like’ your post it’s because WP wouldn’t let me. I can’t leave comments on some blogs. Too hot to worry about it though 🙂
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Great writing, K. I love the haiku!
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Thank you kindly, Jay. I had to write into this one, and I’m glad I did. 😁
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Really immersive descriptions here – makes the scene come to life! 🙂
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Thank you, Tom. I’m working on my sequencing and pacing of events, so more experimenting ahead .💜
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The originality in this is refreshing. Loved it!
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Thank you, Susan. 💜The past has such a lovely lens on it, sometimes. I love being able to let it go by writing about time.
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Loving the imagery in this piece, especially in those expressive ending lines!
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Oh those adolescent years I don’t miss! A wonderful write. I especially like the haiku.
I don’t think I ever went to a single high school football game (well, I went to one when child was in marching band). 🙂
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Without doing the forbidden as teenagers, those years would be pretty unbearable. Nice slice of life from the teen years, K.
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I know little about American football. What little I’ve learnt comes from shows like Friday Night Lights. But like any other sport, I guess people are religious in their devotion. Here, it’s cricket. It would be cool, methinks to take a hit under the bleachers though! I enjoyed this haibun. It has a sense of rebellion running through it.
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I would have been there with you instead of on the bleachers, hell, I’d probably have been the one handing you the spliff.
Wonderful write.
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Oh man. I appreciate that, Kate.
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