Today’s poem is Four-in-Hand by Kweku Abimbola.

The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Major writes… "When I was young, I played basketball for hours. As much as I enjoyed playing back then with my friends, I loved shooting hoops even more with my dad. In my youth, we never lived together. I wince when I think of myself back then, always trying to dazzle him during visits or whenever I spent time at his home. I continually tried to prove myself worthy of his affection, which was everything to me. Before he arrived to pick me up for the weekend, I carefully placed my new championship trophies within sight in the living room, so that when he saw them, he would heap praise. Do we ever stop seeking our parents’ affirmations and affection?" Celebrate the power of poems with a gift to The Slowdown today. Every donation makes a difference: https://tinyurl.com/rjm4synp