Love the Game

The lights flicker on,
Revealing circles, arcs, and rectangles. 
At first, only footsteps,
Then unsteady thumping...thump, thump, swish. 

No scent of nervous perspiration,
Never enough listening or talking
Interrupted by the thump, thump, thump
And an occasional swish. 

Red and white blurs 
And sweat, and blood, and sometimes tears.
What really matters is the team 
And how much they love the game.