The Tennis Player • A Poem By Christopher Chaffee

              
The Tennis Player
A Poem by Christopher Chaffee

The tennis player Knows how precious time is 
It is a gift and also a curse 
The road to follow 
Might be difficult 
And that path  
Is never steady or flat 
But the player is ok with that 
In the balance of light and darkness 
A toss is thrown up towards the sky 
What it brings 
When it falls 
Nobody knows
But when it does comes down 
Maybe love and hope  
Will be found 
Two things a champion was looking for
Since the moment they were born

A point can be won and it can be lost 
The players knows this 
But dares to take the risk
While making a choice 
Giving a chance 
For actions to determine 
The outcome that’s written in their story

The tennis player says,
“This means more than you know”
Thinking and breathing 
All it took to get here 
In every single strike 
The tennis player swears,
“I swing and fight like I always have in my life. As if it is my last and final time?
The impossible seemed out of reach those years ago 
But that is because the player
Wasn’t ready for it yet
Fear not, the story isn’t complete 
The tennis player shrugs 
For glory to occur
I’ll just have to give everything and a little bit more 

A memory is profound 
Like a dream come true 
Brought down from the clouds  
Blessed upon you 
It’s in the night’s stars 
In the sun’s summer rain showers 
Glowing and shining 
While holding on to faith 
Through discipline every obstacle is defeated 
Possessing a rainbow
And fire to announce The tennis player’s return  

It’s not about perfection
It isn’t about the money, the fortune, or the fame
It’s the mental strength of the mind
The courage seen behind the eyes
Fortitude is defined by desire of the heart 
The  essence of the spirit 
Is in the  presence of a soul 
Told in the way of the performance 
That’s shown in the match 
With an unbreakable effort 
The tennis player endures 
Playing in pain 
Forever remaining who they are  
And continue to be 
The tennis player is the inspiration 
Who makes you smile, laugh, and cry
A hero whose purpose
Drives you to want to succeed 
Maybe the tennis player is a symbol 
Representing the glory you just need
To get up and try again