Stage One
Wishing, hoping, praying to find my zone
An important game
A game to play with heart
A game that must be won
First comes the huddle, bring it
Then comes the break
The whistle blows, and it’s time to start
It’s the calm before the storm
Flash! Insecurities spread through my body like cancer
Doubts fuels my internal fire of losing
I pray for confidence
Time for stage two, push
Nervousness is gone
Doubt is eliminated
A mindless body takes over
A body that has been trained
A body that knows what to do
Nothing left to do but focus
Distracting flies crowd the stands
Their red shirts tell you who they are
Familiar faces yet so unfamiliar
They are there for one reason
Watching, waiting, wanting to see me fail
Their secret revenge for my supposed disloyalty
Time to prove them wrong
Back to the game
We want it more
Time to play harder
The ball floats through the air and whispers good luck
A message from God
I check the scoreboard after every play
Too focused to keep track in my mind
A point for us, a point for them
Trading points like we are trading secrets
My heart begins to beat faster, faster, faster
It’s back
Nervousness is my new rival
I check again
The game is approaching its end
Disappointment of losing
Is that how it will end?
The second push
Struggling up the mountain
Who will make it there first
Us or them
No more team names, no more colors
Just us or them
Shortness of breath and a beating heart is all I can hear
Close calls by the referee determine the game
Stage three
Game over, I can breathe easy again
Happiness sizzles through my veins
My body is left soothed with tranquility
Composed, cool, still
The joy of winning, priceless
Author: Unknown