Going To the Ball Game.

Going To the Ball Game

You told yourself you wouldn’t do it,

That you wouldn’t buy yourself another cup of

Coffee at the café, but it was way past sunrise

And the day was just starting off. 

You told your mother you were heading out

To the ball game, with a cap slumped low over

Your eyes, and the t-shirt of the Detroit Tigers

That you got for your birthday last year.

You are going by yourself in your new Chevy,

Something you bought after you were promoted

At your job, something that changed you because

It was your first.  Some people don’t know the

Difference, but you do, and this was your first

Ball park game besides, and everything after

That was going to be gravy, but you didn’t

Want to take your video camera because you

Were sitting too high up.  Sometimes blaming others

For your mistakes can be the problem.  You get into

Your Chevy and drive three miles to the ball park,

And stand in line with your ticket, letting the wind

Run through your hair like a waiting sliver. 

Shivering.  You are cold.  By the time you get to

The ticket booth it is about four-oh-clock in the

Afternoon, and the sun is still out because it is

Spring time, but it just snowed last week because this,

This is Michigan and the weather has strange patterns.