Baseball Poetry

Dedicated to the writing of those invited to participate in a baseball poetry project. Those invited were asked to 1) go to a baseball game, any game and 2) create a poem, in any shape or form about that particular game or some memory of baseball, for the purpose of developing a collection. Most baseball poetry collections are ones culled from the works of famous poets; this one is designed to be more democratic, inviting some established poets and others moved to write baseball poems.

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Fielder’s Choice

Todd Wolbers


“First pitch and away we go!”
Each day a game,
And each game new life.

Some score early but fade fast.
Some cross the plate too late, struggling to rally.
Some don’t reach—on the wrong side of a no-hitter—
and slump back to their dugout.

Some sip the “cup of joe”
only to ride the pines for a 1-2-3 inning.
Some get swapped like faded trading cards.
Most never get “the call”.

Some miss the sign, leaving others in a run-down.
Some squeeze until nothing is left.
Some sacrifice to help others advance.

Few leave everything behind to field the green grass.
Most touch ‘em all while never leaving home.

posted by toddw @ 3:53 PM  

2 Comments:

  • At 4:41 PM, Blogger toddw said…

    This one I wanted to be about how similar "real-life" is to baseball, about choosing your life, and how dreams and choices can change.

     

  • At 9:34 AM, Blogger David Schaafsma said…

    What I like about "The Rainmaker" is what I think this poem needs, though I don't think all poems need to be alike, of course. Showing, not telling, I mean. This just points to my preference for the specific and the "things themselves" (or "no ideas except in things" as WC Williams said, and is in Dan DeVries' poem) versus the abstract. Others wil prefer this poem for its cleverness, humor and insight, I am sure. There'a a lot of work here on analgoes between life and baseball, but I think they are also present in Rainmaker.

     

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