Pink Clouds and Soccer Goals

The week began with gray skies and overnight rains.

Pushed through the area by strong winds, most of the clouds

had gone by yesterday evening, leaving wisps

of sunlit pink and lavender.

I went to the west end of the property,

 where I knew I could get a clear view of the sunset,

and found the lot full of neighborhood men

playing soccer. The parking area was full of cars

and a lot of the men's families were present.
The little boys in the foreground were practicing with their
own ball, dribbling and kicking the ball into the net, as well. 
(The little guy in red was wearing one of Dad's shirts
against the chilly night air.) I learned this group 
of men are all members of one team,

who gather frequently at this site to practice

for community tournaments.

A quarter mile away, little kids play soccer

at the park, while their fathers tend more toward

softball, the sound of a grapefruit-sized ball

making a metallic Ping! as it ricochets

off an aluminum bat, its path through the air

tracked by men running across the new spring 

grass to catch it in leather mitts, Smack!

While it's different, it has the same purpose -

the men play, the women and their families

talk and visit. Friendships are formed and

a community is in the process of being built.