~Tye Reesey, Class of 2026

On the field
in the game
the sun on the back of my neck
staring across the field
with horror in my eyes

watching the opposing team
take shots, one by one.
and just barely missing,
watching the ball flying through the air
and counting on my goalie to
save every shot

knowing I can’t do anything to help
but stand their, on the other side of the field
and wait for the ball to come to me,
‘helpless’
like a lost kid
in a grocery store

our coach and defense yelling
switch, rotate, man.
trying to pitch their voice higher
than the hundreds of screaming parents
on the sideline

I stand their,
not knowing what could happen next
the idea of lose scares me
sweat running down my face
like a cold ice cube
I shiver in fright

5 minutes left
what could come next
me and my team
watching
horror in our eyes
running from the word ‘lose’