Nine men out, tenth man up.
Second set of ten took the field.
"Cap'n" stood in right,
Patiently waiting for the bright
White dot to grow larger in his vision.
His phantom hand tingled in the worn
Invisible leather. A hand lost in Nam
That would have been there ten years before.
His right hand, now catcher and thrower alone,
Itched in the special new glove.
He saw the flash of the silver as aluminum arced
Across the opponent's frame. "Whew-ee!" "Cap'n" croaked,
"Felt that draft out here! Steerike ONE!"
He watched Manny's tedious underhand throw
And knew that one was a goner.
The nine-inch sphere, appeared as if from
The end of a rifle, the spark of metal signifying
Its bright white ascent.
His arm instinctively moved to shadow the golden
Sphere that hung at one o'clock.
"C'mon, Baby, don't fail me now."
He whispered to the glove.
His right hand slid higher as the ball floated
Down, down into the pocket.
"Yeah!" he heard Jack bellow from across the way.
He lofted the white ball two inches in the air,
Hooked the webbing of that special glove,
And snatched it out of mid-air. Without thinking
Twice about the job, he threw.
He heard the sphere hit Dave's glove at second base
With a satisfying smack.
"Yeerout!" hollered the ump, "Double play!"
"Cap'n" heard himself whoop with joy
As he thrust the shiny silver hook,
Attached at the wrist, into the mid-day sun.
"Way to go!" shouted Art at first base,
"Helluva throw Jimmy, helluva throw."
The horn and hooves of the beast I have heard
Are extremely dangerous
To man and dog. By cutting the golden spear
From his head, and grinding it to powder,
A magic presides over the gold. Eating this powder,
A man can become invisible. If hooves or horn
Are made into a cup, poison is sweetened
And rendered harmless. Drinking
The blood of the creature, a single man
Can prevent and cure illness.
And with the paste of blood and hoof,
All wounds are healed.
When I was young I had a unicorn of my own.
We never told a lie between us, and I plaited
The flowers into his golden mane.
Horn and hooves of the beast are deadly
To man and dog. Cut the golden spear
From his head, and the ground gold
Renders man invisible. Poison in a cup
of hooves or horn is translated to sweet wine.
A man replete with the blood of the creature,
A single man is able to prevent and cure illness.
And the paste of blood and hoof heals all wounds.
When I was young, I was friends with a Unicorn.
I plaited the wildflowers into his golden mane
and lovingly stroked his silken white neck.
I loved him dearly, as only youth can, 'til I loved another.
Then I lost him to my lies and the archers arrow.
His blood stained my maiden-white dress
as he gently melted into my tears
and bloomed into a budding rose.
When I was young, I had a unicorn of my own.
He galloped the green woods gracefully,
I on his back.
I plaited the wildflowers into his golden mane
and lovingly stroked his silken white neck.
I loved him dearly, as only youth can, 'til I loved another.
Then I lost him to my lies
and the archers arrow.
His blood stained my maiden-white dress
as he gently melted into my tears
and bloomed into a budding rose.
