Tongue Tied in Clichés: A Blessing in Disguise
A blessing in disguise,
a double-edged sword—
a far cry from peace,
yet all in all,
at the drop of a hat
we reach for a ballpark figure,
beat around the bush,
break new ground,
burn the midnight oil.
By the book we cut to the chase,
play devil’s advocate,
fill the void with food for thought,
start from scratch,
then get cold feet.
Give the green light,
go down in flames,
hit the nail on the head,
find ourselves in over our head,
jump on the bandwagon,
keep something at bay,
leave no stone unturned.
Out of our depth,
past the point of no return,
we read between the lines,
take it with a grain of salt,
see only the tip of the iceberg—
until at last we throw in the towel.
We used to be huge baseball fans
(The Yankees, but, of course!)
And followed all their games and cheered
Until our throats were hoarse.
Our fervor somehow waned and now
We couldn’t even name
The players on the team, although
We still enjoy the game.
While visiting Milwaukee,
We learned there would be a match
Of the Brewers and the Pittsburgh Pirates
Which we (pun!) could catch.
The Pirates pitcher, we found out,
Had quite an arm to wield,
So my husband got us tickets
And we headed to the field.
Their ballpark is a beauty
And we joined in with the crowd
Rooting for their favorite Brewers
As instructed – very loud!
At inning six, a race is held;
Five “sausages” compete.
The winner was Chorizo,
Bratwurst,* sadly, in defeat.
The final score was 4-2,
The Brewers with the prize,
The Pirate pitcher taken out,
Which was a big surprise.
Despite not being N.L.**fans,
We had a lot of fun,
For certain sayings hit the mark
And “When in Rome…” is one.
*The others include Hot Dog, Italian and Polish
**National League
they built a ballpark over my bones,
laid asphalt like a priest's last lie—
no headstone, no name,
just beer guts and baseball caps
spilling nacho cheese
where I once bled.
I was twenty-three,
shot twice in the alley behind Leroy’s Bar,
the paper called me
“suspected.”
that was all they needed.
the morgue forgot me,
the state ignored me,
and my mother—
she wept
until the flies outnumbered her prayers.
now they cheer a double play
while I sleep beneath their roars,
rootless and rotted,
a ghost who never swung a bat—
but still waits
for justice
to round third base and come home.
Glimitz!
According to your order - pronounce,
I weigh less than an ounce.
As gratchens flame and fly, to my disdain,
I wonder, have you got a light?
A conference call,
a violin,
a gently rappling, nightly nappling, finger poppling, ripe penguin,
all of them, on ice,
or would slipslod them on rice?
Catch a tory,
a chicken allegory,
seizing up, all oblong,
I don't belong,
I am more a scroodle square - don't glare.
Chattanooga,
What's it to ya?
Blampart on rye -
as I sit and sigh,
a bicycle goes by.
Oglethorpe in greeches,
idly ironing breeches;
say aloud:
I'm not unproud.
Morebly, I am constitutional.
Cribble, Crabble, my friend Jasper,
grasshoppers of alabaster,
frogs from South Chicago,
a ballpark frank for Joe,
did I stub my finger?
...or my stomach?
Saskatoony
on the half shell,
Pinkerton gets all wet.
Could I ever master
Vogon without regret?
Loud silence tends to speak in a
definitive tone
The derivatives are broken english
singing a similar song
An ape is just a copy taking a
swing for the stands
The ballpark in another league on
grounds they'll never stand
Understand over & under whenever
placing a bet
Make sure the horse you ride is one
you thoroughly vet
Backing one from the looks of things
can lead to errors in mass
Cover bases & cross your T's to avoid
L's from the past
Extra innings may be required to win
a summer of games
Falls lead to a series of sights enjoyed
by eyes of the lame
Games are played like April Fools in
days no one is playing
Not calling a shot but pointing out
what it seems no one is saying
Weighing odds against the numbers
wondering if it'll math
Even bad students can learn their
lessons though a clown in the class
Pastimes are over & done as you see
the future is here
View it from eyes of understanding
instead of how it appears
I intend to enjoy summer
and the sun, warming my ancient skin.
Once, I said goodbye to summer
because one season must yield to the next,
and it was time to attend school and learn.
I said goodbye to seemingly endless beach days,
crashing waves, sand crabs, frisbees, hot dogs, and portable radios singing
about suntanned California girls;
lazy mornings, bike rides to the ballpark,
and balls, flying off my bat and over walls.
I said goodbye,
as I said goodbye
to the excitement of youthful romance,
to my son's childhood,
and as I will say goodbye,
one day, to you,
dear friend.
I intend to enjoy summer.
Jackie Robinson and I go way way back
To the spring of nineteen forty-six
A Montreal ballpark on a April afternoon
The day the world was transfixed
The colour barrier that existed in baseball
Was about to come crashing down
After many decades of ugly discrimination
Jackie would become renowned
It would take a special kind of individual
To withstand all the slurs and abuse
Young Jackie knew what he'd have to endure
But it was not his nature to refuse
Having a strong and tenacious personality
Not known for giving up a fight
Jackie settled in for a long tough struggle
On which he had long set his sights
It's a time in history I'll always hold dear
That momentous day back then
Forever after ingrained in my psyche
I witnessed this champion of men!
My Dad and I were late arriving at the ballpark.
When we arrived, it was the bottom of the first.
As we entered from the passage way to the
left field bleachers, the crowd was cheering wildly!
I looked to my right and believe it or not
Jackie Robinson was stealing home!!!
This image is ingrained in my memory!
The Cubs are still winning
In fact, they're red-hot
Out of 17 games, they've won quite a lot
Out in L.A., they took five out of six
even for a great team, a very good trick
Let's trust that a hot start in April
doesn't lead to a fade in May
or that proverbial swoon in June --
Leaving fans fuming
come dog-days of August
________________________________________
'Red-hots' refer to hotdogs sold by vendors at the
ballpark: "Red-hots, red-hots: Get your red-hots
here! Wash 'em down with a beer!" ... 'Red-hot,' of
course, refers to a team playing well and winning.
Reuniting with old friends is always lots of fun,
Because it’s been years since we’ve seen each other.
Back at the ballpark again for baseball in the sun
Swapping stories about our new lives as mothers.
It’s hard to believe so many years have gone by,
Yet, we all still look the same…well, almost the same.
We should keep in touch, even if it’s just to say, “Hi,”
And meet once a year to see Mike and Pattie at the game.
Although we live in different parts of the country,
I’m glad we all made it to our little gathering.
This get together means so very much to me
And the fact you all call me your friend is flattering.
So, as the weekend begins to come to an end,
I want you to know that I’ve enjoyed it very much.
Reminiscing about the old days with my friends
Keeps me young at heart…and it’s that heart you’ve all touched.
The crack of the bat
The arc of the ball
It lands over the fence
Gives the fans a thrill
Close play at the plate
A headfirst slide
Clouds of dust raised
He's safe; game's tied!
Cheer your lungs out
Give an occasional boo
Beer and brat at the ballpark
Great day for me and for you
Just in case this is something you didn't know before:
the Dodgers don't play baseball in Brooklyn anymore.
Ebbett's Field is a ballpark we will no longer see.
It was torn down, and is now a part of history.
Even though those boys in blue have gone away,
they are still playing the game of baseball today.
In a new town, the Bums have achieved greater success.
Home games are played in the California city of Los Angeles.
To be checked for illegal items, I must go through security.
If someone has to feel me up, I want a woman to do it to me.
I’m blunt because The Universe rolled me up this way
Once you get a hit of this, your life will never be the same.
It took a while for me to find the light, but I am starting to see why I was wired this way.
See, I’m emotional and passionate which causes even the slightest waves
To flood my brain
like the tsunami in New Guinea back in ’98.
Call me Elon Musk because I’m lit like Tesla,
I have honor unlike Edison and aiming higher than the flyer of a single-engine Cessna,
Cause I’m the mecca,
A decently good fella,
A divine soul simply operating a human-vessel,
Quite battle-tested,
Don't wanna hear your first impressions…
I look to the stars,
And know in my heart,
I won’t get very far,
If I continue to walk in the dark,
Getting burnt like cigars
At a summer ballpark,
Because after all…
Life’s so much better when you light it on fire accept who you are…
With one mighty swing of your forty-two ounce bat,
out of the ballpark was where the baseball was at.
A great player blessed with athletic prowess,
you made the ball travel like a nonstop express.
You were Wampum, Pennsylvania's native son.
As far as sports was concerned, you could not be outdone.
One of the Major League's feared sluggers you would be.
Many opposing pitchers became filled with anxiety.
An outstanding career was something you could claim.
I still wonder why you are not in the Hall of Fame.
Yes, you were better than many who played the game.
May you rest in peace as they will remember you name.
Dick Allen
(1942-2020)
Eastern Lowland Gorillas are listed as, critically endangered
They are the biggest subspecies, and are also known as Grau’s Gorilla
and they are found in Congo Basins, lowland tropical forests
but their territory has been halved, by human greed that deforests
They are most vulnerable, to human encroaching and poaching
that is even happening, in the Kahuzi-Beige National Park
Political instability and conflict, have left National Parks in neglect
and they need to eject, rebels, poachers and miners, out of their ballpark
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