Donkey Basketball

  So, yesterday we held the third annual donkey basketball game at the old DeValls Bluff gym.(My uncle purchased it when the school closed and now uses it to house homeless people and hands out groceries every Saturday to struggling families.) ...and of course...to play donkey basketball. The gym is packed out every year for this event. People love to come watch us get tossed around, and all the money brought in is donated to various charities.
  This year was another big hit. We rasied over 3,000$. Plus, it was as fun as ever. The ending score was Blue Team(my team)--29, and Red Team--16. For those of you who don't know much about donkey basketball, that's a high scoring game. My brother, Micah hit a three pointer to end the game...thus the 29. The donkey handler said it was the first 3 he'd ever seen hit in his 7 years of doing this. I scored 10 points myself, and only got kicked once...dangerously close to my meat n' taters. It was my fault, however, because I jumped off my steed to help a teammate get mounted again after he'd been thrown....and then I slapped his donkey hard on the butt to get him going. Shamus(the kicking donkey) nailed me with short left foot(rubber padded) and took off like...well...like a donkey that just got slapped on the butt. PJ(the rider) was thrown again and Shamus nearly escaped into the concession area. The crowd loved it. As for me, I was also thrown once, but landed neatly and re-mounted my steed on the run. The crowd roared. So, that was my evening...I'm just a little sore today. Oh, this is funny, too. When I told my daughter what we were going to do, she freaked out. Apparantly, my son told her horror stories about people getting killed playing donkey basketball. She said, "Dad, NO! They're vicious beasts!!"...haha. (I don't know why she was so worked up...she watched me play last year.)
  And here's an old poem I wrote about riding donkeys called "Donkey Rider"

I rode a donkey yesterday
Ask me why and I could not say
Believe you me, it was quite the chore
And now my body is mighty sore

Without a saddle, I mounted his back
How many tries?...I think I lost track
With one leg half over, he tried to run
People believe me...this is no fun

So I ran alongside him until he stopped bucking
Then jumped up atop him...oh yeah, donkey trucking
But he wasn't finished, oh no, not yet
He had tricks up his sleeve...I was willing to bet

And of course, I was right
Old Mr. Donkey was ready to fight
It makes perfect sense..because without being bidden
I was riding a steed that didn't want to be ridden

Running in circles that weren't quite round
And braying like mad...and awful sound
We ran into trees, all but crushing my knees
And across many ditches..by the way, seven stitches

He bounced me around from one side to another
More than once I cried, "OH, SWEET MOTHER!!"
But he had not yet thrown me. I had not yet fallen
It wasn't over though. I could hear the ground callin'

So in his final play, he lowered his head and bent his front feet
There was the ground I was destined to meet
I met it with grace...yeah right...on my face
And rolled to the side, not ashamed to hide
But he only walked over and looked in my eyes
It was there I could see, this donkey was wise

So he led me home in all of his glory
Of the lesson he'd taught me...now I tell this story

I rode a donkey yesterday
And it was quite the chore
I believe I shall ride...
That old ass no more