Thanks, Doug. I’m not really much of a tennis fan either which is probably
why I allowed myself to observe the diversion. No one in the newspapers or
in the commentary box mentioned it.
Bill
On Thu, 6 Feb 2020 at 4:06 am, Douglas Barbour <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Well, Bill, I can’t say OI’m that interested, but then you tell the tale
> so neatly, I enjoyed it all. And there is a place for narrative poetry of
> many kinds, after all.
>
> Doug
>
> > On Feb 5, 2020, at 4:59 AM, Patrick McManus <
> [log in to unmask]> wrote:
> >
> > ah the Tennis season round the world feathers flying it seems -but from
> which bird we may well ask -hopefully not singed !
> >
> > thanks P
> >
> > On 04/02/2020 20:56, Bill Wootton wrote:
> >> Two sets down, groin injury treated mid-match, swearing,
> >>
> >> in what he hoped was an unknown language
> >>
> >> but didn’t end up being because a multilingual ball person
> >>
> >> picked it up and dobbed him in to the ref
> >>
> >> causing interrogation and further disgruntlement,
> >>
> >> Roger is about to serve again to his lower ranked opponent
> >>
> >> when suddenly he is stilled.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> A feather
> >>
> >> floats
> >>
> >> in his gaze
> >>
> >> almost as if he has willed it into being.
> >>
> >> First the hollow shaft, the calamus,
> >>
> >> dips,
> >>
> >> then pops up,
> >>
> >> allowing the top end of the rachis
> >>
> >> to take its playful downward turn
> >>
> >> and on
> >>
> >> and down
> >>
> >> like a tiny skiff in a dancing sea
> >>
> >> until it settles on the blue court.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Roger’s eyes have followed it all the way
> >>
> >> to its soft, silent landing.
> >>
> >> Now he steps over the baseline,
> >>
> >> drops to one knee,
> >>
> >> picks up the feather between thumb and forefinger,
> >>
> >> and deposits it behind the playing area.
> >>
> >> The ref allows the delay.
> >>
> >> His opponent fumes.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> That’s all it takes.
> >>
> >> He wins his service game,
> >>
> >> calmly returns anything sent his way thereafter,
> >>
> >> and accepts the match,
> >>
> >> does Roger Featherer.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> bw
>
> Douglas Barbour
> [log in to unmask]
> https://eclecticruckus.wordpress.com/
>
> Recent publications: (With Sheila E Murphy) Continuations & Continuations
> 2 (UofAPress).
> Recording Dates (Rubicon Press).
> Listen. If (UofAPress):
>
>
> Done in by creation itself.
>
> I mean the gods. Not us. Well us too.
> The gods moved into books. Who wrote the books?
> We wrote the books. In whose dream, then are we dreaming?
>
> Robert Kroetsch
>
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