Short Cleats Poems

At eighty-seven well past my prime
Can you believe it no long can rhyme
Even Shelly and Keats
Have hung up their cleats
Each had hoped for a life more sublime...

Read More

In heat and dust
With rafters, bare,
My dormant past
Sits neatly stacked:
Those baseball cleats,
Texts obsolete,
Her wedding gown,
Their baby crib,
It all wrapped up
With dim gray light
And cherished in
My memory....

Read More

Deep and true the cove 

of azure blue and moss green 

welcoming my ship 



A dock floats ahead 

with worm rotted wood planks 

and tarnished brass cleats 



Stay the anchor deep 

among the rocks and coral 

bring about the bow 



Venture not to shore 

The real beauty lies beneath 

the calm seas surface...

Read More

All in the Game


a call to the
bullpen by time
warner
tie your cleats by
florsheim
everything in
moderation by red
label vodka
plan ahead by forest
lawn

and beneath the
glittering
twittering
insta- scat game
show reverie
an absolutely
electrifying,
stupefying timeless
wonder

a baseball game

walk off win
dodgers 1 padres 0...

Read More

There’s a fungus among us
It’s funky no doubt.

It’s creepy, it’s crawly
and I’m quite put out.

Tennis shoes, Gym shoes,
Golf and football cleats.

Snow shoes, walking shoes,
rain shoes and sleets

Running shoes, Sunday shoes
Bedroom shoes galore

All strung out and stinky
In your room on the floor

© Mar 11 2010      Charles Henderson...

Read More

Somewhere



Somewhere there’s a baseball
Shivering in the cold

Somewhere there’s a baseball glove
Afraid of growing old.

Somewhere there’s a baseball bat
Some weary cleats and sweat stained hat.

Somewhere there’s a baseball field
Beneath snow’s winter fall

Somewhere dreaming children
Hear the umpire shout

“Play Ball”.



John G. Lawless...

Read More

We pulled it off
Dusted cleats, victory flag
Brandished on history's ceiling

Raising the tide of moral triumph
Gathered from warming hours of dawn
Hope for health and success

New homes and affluent spirit
Finding our way
Among thorns and battalions

Lions prevail with timeless ascent
New comers to corridors and luminous halls
Ready to grab rightful piece of the action...

Read More

Somewhere there’s a baseball
Shivering in the cold

Somewhere there’s a baseball glove
Afraid of growing old.

Somewhere there’s a baseball bat
Some weary cleats - sweat stained hat.

Somewhere there’s a baseball field
Beneath snow’s winter fall

Somewhere dreaming children
Hear the umpire shout

“Play Ball”.



John G. Lawless



submitted to – Batter Up – Poetry Contest
sponsor – Debbie Guzzi...

Read More

No one predicted snow yesterday
but it came down heavy anyway.

Backyard birds sheltered
under any shelter they could.

Later that day
I put cleats on my boots
and duck-walked out
across the deep crisp and even.

I needed bread for my jam,
I needed to breathe-in
the deep freeze
because only sky and Ice
can unclog
the kind of brain-blockage

writers get
when they are constipated
by too warm a mind fog....

Read More

the bass line is  woman walking
talking kissing making love 
the bass line is a fish in stripes 
a hook in time the bass line 
is eadg its almost easy 
a bass line 
next to the beat 
has feet is a woman walking
alone in her thoughts that no one sees 
her desires a bass line 
in brass a woman walking 
her heels clicking
a cat on fire 
sweeping brushing beats 
cleats hushing echoes her steps 
boots ***** cats hips
darkness lions  a bass line...

Read More

The crack of the bat
  but no crackerjacks
The game we held dear
  without a beer or a cheer

The ball sails into the stands
  where it's empty of fans
Radios pick up the players talk
  and their cleats as they walk

The 'boys in the booth'
  may not be long in the tooth
Yet once-exciting plays
  just don't thrill or amaze

"The runner slides into home!" --
  where we watch all alone
Sigh... The 'old ball game'
  ~ is just not the same...

Read More

With the collapse of your cleats
A city's spirit rallies  behind you 
The heart of a champion beats
You brought pride and hope too

We needed you more than you know 
Pay no attention to the news
You're a firefly with a glow
Like gravity drawn to your moves 

Focused forward and beaming bright 
A wink of the future you will achieve 
Lead the way, shine your light 
The team is entrusted, We believe


Dedicated to RG3
Quarterback of my Washington Redskins...

Read More

Life Isn't What It Used To Be.

Life isn't what it used to be with
unicorns and rainbows,
tutus and painted toes.
Life isn't what it used to be with 
dragons and dinosaurs,
cleats and bruised cores.
Life isn't what it used to be because not it's
college parties and heavy drinks
Life isn't what it used to be because now it's 
late dinners and filled sinks
Life isn't what it used to be because now 
memories of the goof ole times tear me
apart every time I rethink....

Read More