“From Different Viewpoints” by Layne Cook
It’s all in the underhand fingered release
A matter of reflex and instinctive math
That perfect drawn arc of a kilogram ball
Will it play to a point or roll too wide and miss
Will it grab ground and bowl a line straight as a crease
Or kneel into english and bite a curved path
Will momentum concede to reverse backspin thrall
Will it stop at the instant it gives jack a kiss
Teaching metaphors hide in this legionnaire’s game
True mastery comes through the practice of forms
Finesse wields more power than naked brute force
Velocity will not assure you arrive
The unfoolish target wants careful laid aim
Respect acquiesces to disciplined norms
Advantage belongs with the tactical course
Competitive friendships can bring one alive
It’s a simple game humbly equipped for plain hands
Rich with nuance that measures how character stands
(originally posted April 2013)
Poesy plus Polemics 