The Summer of ‘98-A Short Story

I remember the summer of ‘98 like it was yesterday. The sun was a relentless tyrant, and the air was thick with the smell of cut grass and dusty sneakers. The neighborhood kids, a motley crew of preteens with scraped knees and boundless energy, spent every waking hour playing street soccer in front of old Mr. Atley’s house. He hated us, and we loved the thrill of annoying him. He was the grumpy Goliath, and we were the plucky Davids, a soccer ball our only sling. The best player on the street was Kevin. He was a year older than the rest of us, with a mop of sandy hair and a cocky grin. He was faster, more agile, and had a way of dribbling the ball that made it seem like an extension of his own foot. He knew it, too, and his constant showboating drove me crazy. I was a decent player, but Kevin always found a way to make me look like a clumsy oaf, stealing the ball from me with a quick flick of his ankle or nutmegging me with a cheeky grin. One day, our game intensified. It was just Kevi...

Hope

 The plinth, when all is lost

The distinction between surviving and suicide in the mist of deep depression

Endeavor and neglect

Remaining vanquished or brushing off the dust of defeat


What else can there be?

A burgeoning nation in search 

Pervasive feuds, sufferings endured

When all seem worthless

Living in hope


Some dying in expectation as days run into weeks

Weeks into months

Months into years

Outliving over decades, indignity tolerable

The pilgrims of old

Persevere the holocaust

Though an end not sighted, in the smokescreen of life


Trusting that someday, the tides will turn

The dark gloomy clouds will lift

Night will give way to day

The sun emerging in its splendor as the dark sky recedes

For in the absence of hope

What will mankind have?

Surely there should be something to live for

To strive for

To believe in

To die for

To stand for

In the midst of turbulent cascading events 

Hope is all


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Summer by Adel J. Cardor

Thanksgiving Cheer