II
Amazata of Misaki

In the middle of it all
a faceless, scowling, short-cropped boy
and the stolen shadow of a ball,
and in the violence outside:
potential in eyes
& potential in minds.........
Stevie can only breathe, blink, blink,
and, again, breathe.........

Then the shrill whistle
that starts our dreams
is lost in the ferocious roar of the horde,
that hateful sound
of all those who want you to fail,
don't want you to be real.........
but can you hear it, Stevie?
In here you are deafening.