I never could swing the bat and then make it hit anything
I think I hit my own head once
but
I could catch Pete Rankowitz
Pete was the fastest pitcher any of us ever knew
at 10 years old
I used to squish a sponge up into the catcher’s mitt
I was the only one willing to catch him
the kid that did before I did
moved away
I then volunteered
I had been a bench sitter
as I say
I couldn’t hit the ball
and to tell ya the truth I couldn’t play a position either
when the call went out
I said to myself
“why not” I ain’t doing anything else but sitting
my courage was mustered
I wanted to play!
and damn it
I caught anything he threw
(my dad gave me tips on the generals of catching)
the day when Pete and I became too old
it was time for Pony League
he was drafted
and you know what
they drafted me along with him
we became a team
he and i
(he had bright red and messy hair)
they only let me play when Pete pitched
it was about then that I learned something
my mind scared me more than reality did
and then we moved
we moved from the east coast to the west coast
Pony League in California was different
far more serious
but I’d learned to catch
so they let me play
I can’t say for sure
but I must have learned to hit
just can’t remember hearing that crack
no
I don’t (wish I did)
finally, swimming became the main thing
I had to give up ball playing
but it was fun to play ball
your in the dirt
scrapping
waiting for that ball to wiz in and
then catching it clean
if you get a chance “to fish”
you’ll catch men not balls
that’s the real enterprise
“sly as a fox
gentle as a dove”
or so Jesus says
it’s a misunderstood verse
in context
men of the world can catch money and
devise complex systems to do it
whereas the man catching men
is not as sly about it. but should be
after all
were talking the soul’s survival
heart’s rejoicing
hey! no matter what
no matter what!
throw that net out
bob young
1 December 2017
1:10 pm mst usa
ya never know
ya just never know
I wonder what happened to Pete
maybe he pitched in the minor’s
or perhaps even better
howdy, Pete
I loved catching ya
I loved playing ball
thanks to your ferocious pitch
I got a real chance
so
watch out for the ferocious
the wiz is lot more trouble than the ball
what did we love, the fish
or __________________.
choose life
choose well
choose baseball?
fin
Yellow Rose Publications
throw the net
throw it!
