Down the Left Field Line

It's Friday and I was trying to do some catch up housework. The 3-in-5 rule came into effect several days ago. Trip over 3 things in 5 minutes and it's time to clean up. I'm not going to get much done, however. I found a poem I had started a few weeks ago. I finished it and then tried to post it here. Then for some reason, habit, or just tiredness, I hit the back button on the browser and everything was erased. So now I have to adjust all the HTML again, because the system assumes paragraphs instead of line breaks. That's a bad assumption for poetry. It's stuff like this that at least partially explains why my place is dusty, the chairs are piled high with papers (news and other kinds), and the sink is usually full of dishes. To me,"tidying up home" makes me think of an umpire brushing off the plate.

If any of you don't like Eric Byrnes, now is the time to leave. In fact, if you don't like Eric Byrnes, you've wandered into the wrong blog.

Down the Left Field Line

In Oakland,
down the left field line,
we wait to welcome Byrnesie back,
down the left field line,
while he limbers up in right.

Each toss is longer,
'til in center field,
his teammate gets
what in a game
might be a long throw home.

In Oakland,
down the left field line,
we wait to welcome Byrnesie back.
He plays left field,
and fielding grounders pre-game
is his work. We know
he’ll come our way.

And, finally,
he joins us, jogging
near the left field line.
We wave and cheer,
and Eric Byrnes waves back,
a slight smile on his face.

He knows a change in "uni"
doesn’t change the hearts
of those who know
that Northern California is his home.

Home team
has two meanings.

In Oakland,
down the left field line
we watch our Byrnesie,
who’s come back
in unfamiliar garb to practice
taking grounders in left field.

He throws the balls
from left to second base,
as in a game
he’d throw a runner out.

He stops to rest.
We wave and cheer,
and Eric Byrnes waves back,
a slight smile on his face.

He knows a change in "uni"
doesn’t change the hearts
of those who know
that Northern California is his home.

Home team
has two meanings.

Kéllia Ramares
Oakland, CA
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