Child’s Play: A Poem
by Frederick K. Foote, Jr.
Published: Sunday, January 23, 2022

Another young Black man knocked unconscious, lying motionless on the fake grass
His fellow players move around him in hushed groups radiating fear and anxiety
Broadcasters express their stale concerns as they rush to a commercial break
Some fans concentrate on the fallen player hold their breath. Others are irritated by the delay
The still unconscious player is lifted on a stretcher onto a cart and driven out of the stadium.
Play resumes. The player’s timing is off by a fraction of a second. The next play is back to full speed and intensity.
Twenty minutes later, the word from the hospital is the player is fine and has made a full recovery.
Many of the fans cheer the good news. Others don’t.
Twenty minutes later, another player is down clutching his knee, writhing in pain.
An eight-year-old boy tugs at his father’s arm, “I want to go home. I don’t want to see any more people get hurt.”
The father starts to protest, sees the boy’s tears. He hugs the child and takes him home by way of the ice cream shop.