TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME

In final vision
before leaving this

lifetime,

had just lobbed
my old glove

to that magic
edge where grass meets

wooden center
field fence;

always a good
sign the ball gods

will favor you.

Joyfully fell to
belly,

burying nose in
the flawless green heaven,

sweet dirt.

Rolled onto back;

all senses filled
with the park’s smells!

Went wonderfully
deaf from its sounds!

It was a game again!

Other players? 
Fans?

Eleven men older
than me in earthly years,

each perfect in
his prime now,

wildly gestured
and hollered from first base side

top dugout stair,

cheering me
towards them.

Wasn’t
astonished.  Wasn’t surprised.

Knew it would
be this way.

Human destiny was to be the greatest

baseball player
of my time

–build the first
ranch for young survivors

who had also been
sadistically abused

when babies—into
puberty.

All box seats,
grandstands and bleachers were

empty

except for an
attractive, light brown-haired woman

perfect in her
prime,

radiant in a
black sheath, matching picture hat,

sitting in center
of grandstand, halfway

between home and
third.

When she smiled
at me,

I sensed she was
happy.

I sensed the
woman was Norma.

I sensed we were
meeting

who each other
truly was

for the first
time.

Without breaking
stride,

and with my right
forefinger and thumb,

touched the brim
of my cap,

nodding slightly.

In the always
dry, pleasing breezes of

permanent spring,
I had accomplished the

final lesson of
the perfect rainbow arc:

I was about to
become an eternally active player

on a prestigious
baseball club.

Each player had,
when earthbound,

a lifetime
batting average higher than 320

Now each man in
his own special way

of introducing
himself, was bringing me home

at last:

ED DELAHANTLY   TRIS SPEAKER

TY COBB   PAUL WANER

BABE RUTH   BILL TERRY

LOU GEHRIG   ROGERS HORNSBY

JIMMIE FOXX   HONUS WAGNER

SHOELESS JOE JACKSON

If you went to the ballpark

when it was
America’s pastime,

and the Sultan
of Swat was present,

you either
knew—or soon learned,

he most surely
would have the final word!

Why should this
special occasion of all

to me,

be any different?

But it was!

And his words
both astonished and surprised me!

Where yuh been, Rookie—we been
waitin’ on yuh!

James Humphrey, 2000, Yonkers, NY 

©James Humphrey Trust