30 Poems in 30 Days: Day 1

So yeah, for those who don't know, April is National Poetry Month. And in honor of that, poets from all around are collaborating to each write 30 poems for every day this month. I will be posting my poems both here, and on the 30/30 blog. You can check out the other blog here.

"Premature Midlife Crisis, Pt.1" 

"Life Line"

I step up to the line

As if I'm shooting a free-throw

My toes kiss the crack in the pavement

Separating the backyard

Almost in half

Head swings left

Then right

Silence felt like abandonment

To this mild Chicago night

The imaginary crowd has left the building

Replaced by grass that grew from the dirt

That used to form our court

Way back when

When this same crack was the court's sole boundary

And crossing it was life's only dilemma

It's been more than a decade since then

The crack in the ground used to seem like lifetimes from the goal

But at 20 years old

It could past for a three-point line at most

And as I'm shootin' whimsical jumpshots at nonexistent rims

I wonder if my definition of "lifetime" will continue to diminish

Like my life's time

I step up to the line as if I'm shooting a free-throw

Wishing I was

Because then, life would be frozen in time

And the whole world would be waiting

On me

But life is a constant fast break

And I'm still at the free-throw line.