First Touch

A yellow foam earplug was wedged against the sofa leg. Spherical enough. I set up two wooden building blocks three handspans apart to mark a regulation goal. The surface demanded precision. I nudged the foam with the inside of my right boot, judged the roll across the rug's grain, and delivered a sharp strike. Clean contact. It zipped straight between the uprights without grazing either block. Form is returning. Standard set.