You throw a ball into a basket
and hundreds of people cheer.
So what do you do the next day?
You write an article in the newspaper
about how there were only a few hundred people
cheering for you and your team.
What the hell are you thinking?
Don’t get me wrong,
I’m sure it took a lot of sweat and tears
and burning lungs gasping for air
and maybe even a little blood
on the varnished stadium floor
for you to learn how to squeak down the court
past those lanky defenders
so that you can throw the ball
through the hoop.
I couldn’t do what you do
but does that give you the right to complain
because only three hundred pairs of eyes
follow you along the court
and only three hundred voices
explode in your ears
as the crowd goes wild
for your victories?
I don’t think so.
I’ve seen people sweat and cry
and tear their bodies to pieces
not to light up some scoreboard
or make it to the finals
but because they knew
that lives were on the line.
I’ve seen people spend crazy hours
marching, shouting, holding signs, writing letters
so that some children who they’ll never meet
can get food and water and medicine
and not have to spend sixteen hours a day
sewing shoes for basketball players.
Does anyone cheer for these people?
I’ve seen so many lives
so many quiet tournaments
where the stadium was dark
and the seats were all empty
but people bled and sweat and cried
without scoreboards or fanfare
because somebody had to
and no one else was willing to play.
So next time you throw a ball in a hoop
and three hundred people cheer
if that doesn’t make you smile
then don’t come crying to me about it.