For The Love Of The Game

FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME

before there was a clicker
and a choice of three channels
TV viewing was limited

not a fan of Lawrence Welk
or painting on public television
Dad would resort to sports

it was Ali, Kareem, Nicklaus,
Staubach and even Secretariat
who came into our living room

I watched in fascination
as the best of the best
displayed finely honed skills

today, when I watch,
it is not a particular sport
that captures my attention

it is the athletes who show
they are in it
for their love of the game

2012-04-25
P. Wanken

Written for Poetic Asides 2012 PAD Challenge Day 25: write a “sport” poem.

Perspective…

…viewpoint…attitude…overview…vantage point…

All of these words indicate that something can be looked at or seen from more than one angle. How easily I forget this. I look and look and look at a situation and mull it over in my head and become fairly convinced that I see “it” quite clearly. It makes perfect sense in my head.

Then I open my mouth and speak.

And all sense and sensibility falls to the wayside.

This happens, most likely, when I opened my mouth to speak and there was someone who had ears to hear me…and then they shared from THEIR perspective… viewpoint… attitude… overview… vantage point. “All of a sudden” mine is not the only answer! Mine is not the only option. And “mine” is often wrong!

Oh, how often I find that my thinking was wrong.

Lord, help me not to get tied up in thinking my own thoughts. Making my own decisions without the input of others. Making my own decisions about others based only on what I’ve been thinking. Help me to seek YOUR input…to see my life and the world around me from YOUR perspective. But also help me know when I should be talking to another person…to gain understanding and clarity by hearing their perspective. May I have a heart willing to be open and ears willing to hear.

Amen.