Eternal Spring Training For Chace Numata

I’m not sure I have the strength anymore To be discovered Stepping into the cold black lake of February Clopping to work in frozen slop Snow snarling at my ankles Car coughing Windshield gritting its white teeth I wear a body double of fur curved Like a polar beast on my back Then the Voice of the Turtle whispers… And sprinklers spritz in a mist of sunrise And rows of palm trees unfold as a breezy outfield fence Blue sky a homerun boundary Free to swing away you can’t miss Buckets of baseballs flung to the green sea Leather-gloved squids Eight kids per position Waiting their ground balls and pop flies Legend to rookie 60 feet and 6 inches from the big show Chin skimmed and bum chapped with red dirt Tip of hat flattened to home plate Get up swing back at that Unfamiliar crack of doubt Deep from winter inside you. A hot sun is a bird perched on the bill of your cap #10 Numi eternal rookie in us all Spread your wings and fly to Detroit The Old English D forever on your chest.