Poetry

THE “I” IN “TEAM”  By Jef With One F  

An athlete, see,  

Is just not me  

I’m really just a reader  

But even though  

I cannot throw  

or catch I’m still a dreamer  This dream, don’t laugh.  I occasioned had  

Was baseball diamond glory  Of daring slides  

And catching flies  

And Sports Illustrated stories!  So now and then  

at Summer’s end  

I’d walk to the empty park  With bat and ball  

And glove and all  

the dreams tucked in my heart  

I’d swing and miss  

And swing and miss  

No matter how I tried  

I couldn’t hit  

(I swung like shit!)  

But would not be denied  But then one day  

It went my way  

I finally connected  

Through luck or skill  

Or iron will  

A home run I’d ejected  

Glove in hand  

I raced and ran  

I had no breath to shout  My god I caught it!  

..Then I got it  

All that effort and I’m out!