Tennis Anyone?

 A time for tennis and keeping awake

Racquets, towels, rest times, injury breaks

Players looking smart and fit

Audience in their seats expectantly sit.

Following the ball, head moving side to side

Shrieks, moans when ball goes wide

Linesmen at risk from ball trajectory

At 150 mph can easily cause injury.

The gallery behaving as one

Every shout, cheer and moan predictably sung

Breathing, heaving like a giant awakened

A three hour spell of excitement.

Ball boys and girls in position

Well trained for helpful action

Everyone in place

Even when game picks up pace.

There are ways to pick up and throw

Helping to keep the game flow

Ready with balls for the server

Making it easy for the player.

 

With sweat dripping on a hot day

Towels ready for wiping away

Without ball boys and girls ready

No chance for game to flow steady.

Players looking fit and trim

Men and women mostly slim

Arms and legs muscled

From workouts carefully scheduled.

Anywhere in the world

In heat or cold

A different class of viewers

Watching self - controlled players.

Without body contact

Less chance for physical attack

As a civilized game

Tennis making its name.

Court rage very rate

Happens when tempers flare

Umpire, linesman making a mistake

Or when bad strokes made.

When this does happen

Rackets flung and broken

Ball hit wild into the crowd

Cries of alarm clear and loud.

No room for give and take

All out for match point to take

Winner takes all

No drawn match as in football.

The gallery of fame

Pictures of well - known names

To be one of them

Is every players dream.

Veteran players in the gallery

Watching prodigies playing gallantly

Now serving as coaches

As middle age approaches.

For runners up no gallery

Even if they played gallantly

Crest fallen and in despair

On another day victory can aspire.

Tennis is here to stay

A long and challenging way

Younger players in waves emerging

Future of tennis very promising.

MPP

15.2.17