Game 69

CHI 103               IND 86

I sometimes joke about Chicago
That the long cold winters
While horrible
Make its people better
And stronger

That’s why people from the Chi
Are so badass
Never-ending winter
Focused minds

Distraction
Survival

I have a buddy from Serbia
Minja--(pronounced Meen-yuh)

Little guy
Nice as hell
Never rattled

Always smiling his sleepy little
Jack and Coke
Smile

Minja was married on a boat--
A party barge

Windy shitty day
Sun turning to rain
Calm waters turning choppy
Gusts getting cold

I deejayed this wedding
Watched my records fly off the turntable

Ripped by the wind
Floating like a frisbee--
Stopping in the air like a Polaroid
Thrown from barge to water
Perfectly

They sing
Men
Arms around shoulders
Sharing one microphone

Drunk
In love
And safe
Together

Songs in an old language
Songs I can’t understand

That  remind me of my relatives
Two generations past now
All dead but one

Old Jews
Gathered around my grandmother’s piano
Singing songs in Yiddish

Songs I couldn't understand
Songs that felt like survival
And togetherness

Once I asked Minja
Why so many Serbians play in the NBA

Durink war--he says
First thing 
Bombing the school
         and hospital
Kid--they havink nothing to do
So play basketball is good
Is better than gang and army and rebel
Is with friend--yes?
I playink music--
The same

Niko grew up just after this time
Of bombs dismissing school
But he
Like all of us
Is an echo

Decoding echoes
though
Is a tricky business

Gunfire
Easily mistaken
For applause

---

Two Haikus About Mike Dunleavy and Trust
By Stacey King & BullsBard

Trust that you are here
For a reason--to take shots
Don’t think about it

You've got to play D
with the trust that your teammates
Are back there to help