At Times by Brooke Horvath

Author:Brooke Horvath
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Kent State, nelson algren, realism, poems, poetry books, american poetry, poem, poem books, poetry book, gift ideas, gift books, poetry, collected poems, poetry collection, poetry anthology, american literature, contemporary poetry, literary criticism, language, philosophy, hunger, classic, modern, writing, 19th century, literary fiction, health, essays, music, learn to read, americana, self help, drama, english literature, psychology, short stories, nature, alphabet, mens health, school, theatre, russian, plays, haiku, beats, romanticism
ISBN: 9781609809843
Publisher: Seven Stories Press
Published: 2020-07-04T18:00:00+00:00

CALLING TIME

Rollie Sheldon holds a wristwatch to his ear.

Ralph Houk leans in to “help him listen.”

Behind the crowds and springtime pepper,

they hear the sound time used to make in 1961.

It seems to please them, Rollie especially,

who must have thought he had a lot of time in 1961

when he went 11-5 in his new Yankee pinstripes,

fresh from college and D-League ball.

The year Roger Maris sent those 61 dogs hunting.

Time had a satisfying sound that summer.

John Blanchard got more playing time.

The time was right for setting records

that might last for quite some time.

Mickey, Ellie, Tony, Whitey—their timing

was right that summer, when time

seemed in suspension, measured only in innings

that were themselves subject to no clock

that wasn’t wound by strong arms and gutsy fielding.

Ford Frick and endless talk of longer seasons

worked overtime to spoil Roger’s record.

He could see it coming (he had good eyes).

Mick, of course, was always ready for the worst,

waiting on aching legs for injury’s alarm,

spending the money he saw no point

in saving for some other time,

while Bobby prayed and Yogi joked,

and hot Rollie’s watch ticked and ticked.

One evening, late in the season, running

out of time like running out a pop fly—

futility at war with hope, and nothing to be done about it—

Roger called time

at Tiger stadium, stepped out of the box

to watch a flock of Canadian geese

fly across the face of the sky’s cool, luminous dial.

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