No, it’s not a game
Even though it sometimes seems so,
It’s an expression
Most of us have come to know.
It smacks of negotiations
Of one type or another
And given the time that elapses
I wonder why we bother.
Like waiting on a response
To some query that was made,
Seriously though, we ask,
Are these people for real?
A transaction in progress
And waiting for the next move
But it has been so long in coming
It cuts against the groove.
The ball’s in your court
It’s your turn to play it back,
We can go no further in this matter
Unless you get on track.
I vividly remember a game
We used to play at Youth Service,
Bible Boxing was its name
And it went something like this.
Two candidates would compete
To see who was the better
At reciting Bible verses
Almost to the letter.
One would recite a verse
While his opponent would respond,
This was a competitive activity
Of which we were very fond.
If the ball was in your court
And you had a memory failure,
Your opponent would grab the chance
To ensure you lose that fixture.
The ball’s in your court
Is a daily experience of life
And it can become so frustrating
It can give rise to strife.
It’s a reality for our students
Who have been afforded the chance:
Free education is the proverbial ball
They must play to advance.
It defines our justice system
As lawyers submit and retort,
“Cross examine,” oft you will hear,
Meaning the ball’s in your court.
So, in myriad disputes,
In our Parliament and Law Courts,
Reminiscent of tennis and volleyball-
The ball’s in your court.
If you are unable to play it back
You may only lose a game
But in this competition that we call life
It will cause some pain.
Some who hold the upper hand
May refuse to play the ball
Causing much frustration to another
And regrettably another’s fall.
Amidst the cut and thrust of life
The ball’s in your court is on
And it bears down on humanity 24-7
Meaning from dawn to dawn.
Stewart Russell © May 10, 2023
