The alley:

A place to relieve your anguish.

Look at the score,

Or don’t:


It’s your last frame.
Strike after strike,
You have nine in a row.
You release the ball at a tremendous thrilling speed.

It rolls down that wooden lane,

Staying out of the gutter,

And smack!

You missed your mark,
And missed one pin,
The ten pin.

You have to settle

For a spare.

You missed out

At a chance

For a perfect

Game.

You wind up,
And heave the ball
Down the lane.
The ball nicks the pin.
It starts to webble and wobble,
And falls.
You slug back a beer,
Before you throw one last time.
You stand there,
Looking down the lane.
You release the ball,
And it soars
Right
Into
The gutter.