I am a player

It is while mourning the death of Ken Dryden, the great hockey player for the Montreal Canadiens, that I submit to you the poem that ends his book: The Game. Here is his poem: I am a player I love to play I want to win It matters to me if I win or lose It matters to me how I play the game 308 THE GAME I want to win without injustice or bad luck or regret I want to own every pleasure and disappointment I want to get lost in play I want time not to matter I want to do something more important than me I cannot win alone I need my teammates and my opponents to make me better I trust, because I have to trust I forgive, because I need to be forgiven I play a game, not only a game I try because that matters to me I try because it’s more fun that way I don’t quit because it doesn’t feel good when I do I play with others, but I play against me I learn when I play I play when I learn I practice because I like to be good I try what I’ve never tried before I fail, to fail smarter I want to be better than I was yesterday I dream I imagine I feel hard and deep I hope, because there’s always a way.