I—don’t like you.
You make it hard to get
Out of bed in the morning.
You fill my days with dread of what
Is yet to come.
Whether it be the squish sound the
Turf makes as I sprint from sideline to sideline
On a sizzling day in early August as the sun beats down.
Or the smack of the hard wood beneath my feet in a humid gym
As I glide up and down the court.
Whether I like it or not I have come to accept:
There is no escaping you.

You are engrained in my lifestyle.
By now I have learned to accept that,
No matter how hard I wish, I will always hear my coach shout Your name
at the conclusion of every practice.
Then again you can be an immense help.
You make the first quarter feel like the last.
You show me the inner strength I have to push through
When I think I am unable to go on. You make
The rest of the day seem that much easier,
And for this I am grateful.
You know what? 
Maybe you aren’t so bad after all.