Nightly Ritual

[cotidiano]

I decided not to add much punctuation or capitalization, even though I normally go crazy with it. Not sure about the title. I wanted to capture as many sensory details as possible without falling into purple prose.


Nightly Ritual

ping pong of tennis balls against racquets--
a solid pop and a twangy boing back and forth
fence clashing as a shot flies outward
cicadas chattering rhythmically
coarse yellow fur of an old friend
warm air enveloping skin, embracing, invigorating
hands warming as blood pumps through veins
feet skidding across rusty concrete
dark orange marks like comets across a twinkling green sky
laughter.