The Muse's Corner: Breaking the Barriers to Beauty
By The Philosopher of Arena Football
March 30, 2007
As I sat last weekend in front of my 1964 Black and White Zenith TV that
lies upon a milk crate that in turn lies upon a large volume of Robert
Frost poems, I pondered once again the beauty of Arena Football. But this
time, I tried to go further. What was the essence of the beauty? From what
does it arise?
In week 4 I saw many things, I saw miraculous catches against the boards.
I saw jubilant fans reaching into the arena to catch an errant pass, or high-five
the triumphant
crosser
of the goal line. I saw both receivers and quarterbacks upended over those
same boards and into the stands, a painfully joyous breaking free of the
barrier between fan and spectator. Why so much beauty? Then, I had a flash
of realization. Normally we think of fences and walls as obstacles that get
the way of our vision and progress. But just as the ancient Zen masters realized
that the function of the water bowl would be impossible without the void
within, so too are the walls of the Arena Football field essential to the
meaning of the game. I spoke at length to the Muse on this subject. She listened
carefully, and then sang her answer - The Ending Wall:
"The field is surrounded to contain the ball
And rebounds the souls
Of those whose play would maul—
Something there is that does love a wall.
The game it does contain,
While the Rreceivers it does constrain--
What does it keep in? And what keep out?
Something there is that does love a wall.
You race beneath the arc lights
As the ball is hurled your way
Yet at the end of the zone
Rushes the thing you cannot wish away--
Something there is that DOESN’T love a wall.”
The Muse once again has broken the barrier that blocked understanding. So
when you enjoy the games of week 5, look not just at the center of the
field and at the wondrous acts of skill and power by the athletes, but
also ponder the power and
meaning
of those unsung, marginalized players: The Walls.
Paul Celmer, aka The Philosopher of Arena Football, is a member of the Arena Football League Writers Association and a founding member of Arena Football Online. Contact Paul at pcelmer@arenafootballonline.com
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