One Shot

Complete silence,

the ball slowly bouncing up and

down under his trained fingers.

He squats flexing

his knees raising

the ball to his eyes his

his fingers spread and set

along the curved seam.

Then one smooth swift

motion: elbows in

arm extended

wrist snapping

fingers extended

he releases the ball

in a high arc.

It rotates

perfectly silent

passing through the hoop

as it must

then the sound of the net

swishing against the ball

and the crowd roars.

Perfection.