Long Cleats Poems

AntiPoem 4
“Santo and Johnny”

(Poet’s instruction- Play “Sleepwalk” twice by Santo and Johnny while reading)

Santo and Johnny play Sleepwalk on Fender steel and bass
Just oozing out their mellow electric dream sound as the
Santa Monica Pier exudes...

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Lisa and I had been watching some boys strut about, as they played soccer, in their little shorts, in the freezing cold. It’s an old animal story.

The game ended, or it was intermission and about...

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We played on all weather turf which was mud and a few sods of grass

Dribbled like Pele and Eusebio in old boot for that one killer pass

From straight after school until there was not one...

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You wear sandals
And I wear tennis shoes
We hate one another
Occasionally
We tolerate one another
Occasionally
We are always on different wave lengths
You’re on A.M
And I’m on F.M
Because you wear sandals
And I wear tennis shoes
I told you once before...

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Can't decide if there's anything ever  worth sayin'
Done a lot in 23 years but feel like I've done nothin'
Opportunity cost, I hear the clock tickin'
Killin' time in Vietnam people watchin'
Seeing the way these ppl...

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10/20/19
"Playing For Keeps"

What the bleep is up with all the creeps
And cheats
It's time to release the beast off the leash
And have a feast
Sinking my teeth
Into each, until they cease

Left out to rot, not buried beneath
The...

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My grandfather and I had a special relationship.

When I was young we lived near his home in Baltimore.  But, my family moved away from 
Baltimore when I was five and we lived most of...

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I tell u what shell b the first to tell you 
Tim is crazy he aint even jealous of the devil
he gots propellas on the metal
Rest aside those doubts about me
weapons of destruction I don;t...

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After becoming confident 
(das ernest frank gent) handled ignition
jerryrigged knobs, levers, motors, 
nameless other parts quintessentially,
set registers to “understand” vital www xy zone.
----------------------------------------------------------
A blitzkrieg capstone detonated explosive forcees
generating horrendous instantaneous jolt, 
Krakatoa lost mighty noise,...

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Rainy Day in Baseballland
Inspired by: Casey at the Bat

It was a rainy day in Baseballland
The players were home in bed
One rookie rolled over his eyelids a flutter
With dreams of a stand-up triple running through his...

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The turf is wet. 
Tinny rap splashes out, booming and the players are bouncing
Like boxers, ready for the air-balls
That they cleanly tap and set on the ground
With the surfaces of their cleats.
The rap is crashing.
The...

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As the sun peaks up into the sky
	the blue pickup truck goes down the dusty road
to the field that barren laid
	and the red tractor waiting there

father and son in blue jeans clad
	walked from the truck...

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I remember the day of my nine pitch inning.
Though it happened over forty years ago.
The day was hot, yet cloudy,very little breeze.
 
I went through my usual stretching and running.
The guys knew to leave me...

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The players take the field
Pitchers and catchers warm up
Pre-game practice is underway
The coaches and umpires discuss the rules
The coaches shake hands and walk away;
The home-plate umpire yells "let's play ball"
The game is underway.

The pitcher takes...

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It’s funny how my father’s hobby became mine. He has been a sportsman all his life, he played basketball, volleyball and softball all his youth, but his real passion is soccer and even though he...

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Daughter "2" Father
Hey, Dad, can I talk to you?
I understand the things you’ve been through 
But look at what I've been through
I survived and forgive you
For me life was like cleats
Sorrow was inside me, but...

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I wanted to hangout, 
to be with the cool kids!
There standing together,
leaning against brick walls. 
Holding their cigarettes, 
rotating the filter between thumb and fore finger.
Putting Export A's up to their mouths for an extended...

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There was a pair 
Both having creative flair 
Then another two 
Having nothing to do 
Twins on two wheels 
Looking for a steal 
No need for a club 
Being in the woods with these guys...

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When sky is grey and east is clouded high
with ever coming stiffer breeze give mind
to take in sails and make things right with try
to keep bow pointed straight toward great swells kind.
Then we were close...

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He looked at that boy with pain in his eyes 
and said I'm sick and tired of seeing all of               
these...

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Time is ticking down
I’ve got eighty yards to go
It’s the last game of the season
The fans are sitting down
Our mascot is a clown
And I don’t even know the reason

Coach signals in a play
I get flagged...

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Ode to Chores
By Brenda Kahn

When the Good Lord
In his wisdom, Hark!
Said “Separate
the light from dark.”

He surely didn’t
See that time
Would be a scarce
Resource to find

I throw my clothes-wash
In by person
Lest my crazed
Schedule worsen

If I did dark
Then...

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I pack the backpack
then empty it
count again what I need,
discard the unlikely,
the unnecessary accessory.

I pack the backpack
shoulder it,
adjust the straps
remember to add a useful thing,
unpack and repack,
try to balance the weight,
smooth the angular,
tighten the loose.
Once...

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My memory is still clear from the sense of the morning.
The grass was damp and the fog was a thin mist trying
to disperse.Both teams were already on the field stretching
from baseline to baseline.The click clack...

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I pack the backpack
then empty it
count again what I need,
discard the unlikely,
the unnecessary accessory.

I pack the backpack
shoulder it,
adjust the straps
remember to add a useful thing,
unpack and repack,
try to balance the weight,
smooth the angular,
tighten the loose.
Once...

Read More