A Marvellous Harmony of DifferenceWritten for the July Year 3 topic of "Ageing or Marriage"

Feelings requited.
“Love” is returned to and fro
Like the ball in the racket match but In the Love game.

Here a line judge sleeps deeply undisturbed and peacefully.
A Red Admiral butterfly alights on his white sun-hat;
Sweating milk-white players thunder like trapped Charolais bulls
Unaware of the butterfly, line judge drama unfolding nearby.
What radiant colours draw the eye
And drink the sight in huge and thirsty draughts of rapturous seeing!

Four worlds are here married into one;
Together and yet apart, connected and yet separated.
The butterfly drawn to a phoney flower,
Slowly opens and shuts its wings to partake of solar power.
The slumbering umpire sleeps off his midday wine,
His clock has stopped - he now just dreams of a recherchez time.
The players co-habit a competitive world of bouncing balls and strength and skills,
Each point played with snorting pounding passion in their perfect green pasture.
And you and I look on and smile in wonder at this marvellous harmony of difference.

© David Johnson, July 2009