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Beanbag Baseball

elderly people        some
         with walkers or canes,
teams opposite each other,
       smiling nervously
 on one side all blue shirts (mostly all)
          on the other    green shirts
much chatter and laughter


it’s the beanbag baseball
championship 
         Maple Ridge at Savannah Pines
chairs line
      both sides of the hall,
game space      in between

can Maple Ridge keep the trophy

coin toss     Savannah wins
a tall, thin green-shirted woman
            approaches the red line
      opposite 
a slanted wooden board
            with holes 
labeled home run     single
double     triple      out
she bites her lip     concentrates



first fat red beanbag
            slides off the board
shouts of “You can do it!”
second bag lands on the board
            but whoa! 
third bag goes into the hole
             two bases        
both sides cheer          give high fives.

excited babble  
      a miss      a home run
a single      double           an out!
         nine innings
walking the “bases”  
         chairs labelled first       second 
         third           home plate
everyone cheers for everyone

   seventeen to twelve    
          yaay!
Maple Ridge keeps the cup
         all get a ribbon 
and a box of Crackerjack. 

date set for another match
          dinner with new friends
          hugs all around
Maple Ridge residents climb
into the bus      already anticipating
         the next “championship”
             at Maple Ridge


Copyright © Barbara Peckham

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