Take a Knee

Sitting on the sidelines
at my grandson’s soccer game
on that cool night,
bundled in a shared blanket,
we cheered for his team
while our neighbors to the left
cheered for the other
and the coaches called out.
Packs of boys chased a ball
from one end of the field
to the other.

When, suddenly,
a boy was down.

Recognizing that he was hurt,
the others shouted,
“Take a knee,”
and within a moment,
all was still.
No matter the team,
every boy was on the ground.

A coach ran to the boy,
who was cradling his arm,
crying.
He helped the boy stand
and braced his small
nine-year-old arm
upon his own,
much larger,
as together,
they walked off the field.
Everyone clapped.

It was, by far,
my favorite part of the game.

“Take a knee,”
as if to say,
we are all the same now
as we kneel here in silence.
We honor your pain
more than the game.
We cheer you on
as you seek
whatever help you need-
a cool drink,
a warm hug
from a worried parent,
or a trip to the hospital.

I imagine these small boys
taking this lesson to heart
and one day,
when the stakes are higher
and the hurts are deeper,
remembering to stop,
to take a metaphorical knee
upon recognizing,
in friend or foe,
another’s pain.

By Maria Brady-Smith
Photo by Matt Wilson