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Sunday, December 11, 2016

RUN





My first baseball game
second grade I believe
recess out on the playground
they didn't use a baseball
it was a soccer sized ball
you whacked at it with the bat
and then you ran
that's what I saw the other kids do
you ran

I didn't know one thing about baseball 
I didn't know you were supposed to stop at the base when the ball was being thrown there 
and someone called out SAFE!
or OUT!
Mom's Second Big Mistake 
having shown me nothing 'bout anything
'cept how to be passive aggressive
so I just kept running
running home
because I didn't know 
you know
and the kids thought I was dumb or something
or maybe had a screw loose
'cause next time up I did it again
and they were yelling STOP
but I kept on running 
running home
and I didn't look back

And when it came time to bust out of
that little town 
years down the line
I ran
and kept on running
running away from home 

And I didn't look back 


37 comments:

  1. Great story/poem. I can so relate. (except for me it was soccer)

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    1. Thanks, Martin...perhaps this type of experience is more common than I'm aware of, as many of us were, or still are, faking it in one way or another :)

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  2. Was involved in a similar game a long time ago and am still running, as running is guuud for you, as it releases Serotonins, which are guuud for you, which replaces eating chocolate, which also release Serotonins, but could be bad for you and give you a headache ... and we wouldn't want that, would we ... Ergo: Run and you will find ... home ... sumtime ... maybe ... smiles. Meouw, cat.

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    1. I understand that you run whenever you hear a police siren--lol

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  3. Interesting how you timeline it from childhood to youth when we believe we can indeed run away from it all.. and maybe we grow up and learn to face our fears or ourselves, whatever the problem is. Enjoyed this poem.

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    1. As Kenny Rogers sang..."you got to know when to walk away, and know when to run."

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  4. Some of us were just not meant for team games or sport - that's one of the reasons we write ;)

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    1. LOL, Kim...I remember job interviews where they said they were looking for "team players." And I thought, okay, maybe i can fake it :)

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    2. ha! mine said they wanted 'leaders'. yeah, as long as they tow the line... how is that leading? leading me on?

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  5. Love this. You are so good at storytelling that is universally understood and reflective without being sentimental.

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  6. I have 2 things in common with this fellow: 1 didn't know squat about sports and 2 ran away and never went back.

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    1. A kindred spirit...here's the funny thing--I went on to play Little League baseball and the next level after that.

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  7. The tale is told with your wry humour, but we feel what it is to be that boy, awkward, eager, and also the need to escape the confines of childhoods rules. I loved the way you wrapped it up.

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    1. Thanks so much, Kerry. Running home...running away from home...sometimes you don't know if you're coming or going!

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  8. Oh, I so relate to this. I remember being thrown into a basketball game with NO clue, and running with the ball, and tears in my eyes, towards the opponents' hoop.

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    1. I hope you knew enough to shoot the ball--lol

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  9. This has a great symmetry and rhythm to it. Good narrative within and a movement that takes us with it....running and never looking back!
    Great take on the prompt! Thanks for posting! I enjoyed ;)

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  10. Sometimes it's best to know when to run away. Things can get way over your head when you don't know when to run.

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    1. And as in baseball, one must also learn when and where to stop.

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  11. Ha - I had to smile at this one as I pictured you running home, only to realize you weren't suppose to be running home and the ending twist of running away from home.

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  12. Oooh I love me a good baseball game!! ;)

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  13. Oh I do love a wonderful childhood memory/story as this -- my Dad used to take me to baseball games in Chicago & St. Louis growing up. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Thanks, Stacie! Sounds like you had a wonderful upbringing.

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  14. A wonderful time... and I think I recognize myself except the fact that we played soccer with a tennisball... and I ran away to play with the girls instead.

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    1. Kinda hard to kick that tennis ball up and down the field--lol
      Don't blame you for finding something more interesting to do!

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  15. SMiLes for me
    at Least in First
    Grade it was the
    Pelican's little league
    team.. surely
    left
    field
    lasts
    forever
    in boredom
    taste.. last
    season for me
    iN BoRinG Baseball liFe..
    anyWay ..thanks for reminding
    me of that.. the fearless macho ATF
    dad left me with the Apron Strings too..
    and much
    longer
    apParently
    than you..;)

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    1. Always enjoy it when you come from left field :)

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  16. I like how you use something simple like baseball to explore something much deeper. Well written.

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  17. Very clever turn at the end. One of my favorites of yours!

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