His whole middle-aged body twists
Into the windup, a quickening spring
As he draws back, the ball clutched
Between glove and bare right hand
His body leaning as though the ball
Were a weight pulling him backward
His left leg rises from the ground
His body thus balanced, poised for release
His arm swings out then low, foot reaches
Forward, drops into a cloud of dust, the
Ball flies from his hand toward the batter
Arching into the air, searching out home plate
With maybe a spin added at the last moment
He freezes for a long instant waiting
To hear the crack of the bat or
The thud of the ball finding
The catcher’s mitt
Ready for whatever happens next.
M.J. Arcangelini, (b. 1952, Pennsylvania), has resided in northern California since 1979. He has published extensively both online and in print. He is the author of 6 published collections, the most recent of which is Pawning My Sins (released by Luchador Press in 2022).
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