Distant Bounce

Thump-thump, it rolls across my mind,

like footsteps left far, far behind.

A lone ball dribbles cracked old ground,

a hollow drum, a distant sound.

The chain-link fence divides the air,

but not the thuds that seem to care.

In fading light, the rim hangs bare,

while echoes chase a shadow’s flare.

I listen close, the night resumes,

a rhythm trapped in empty rooms.

That distant bounce, it pulls and strains,

like music leaking through the chains.