the beginning of Life Poem (1969)
desperate now, i’ve started to write everything that comes
into my head
i just lay it out right here
as if the lined paper had become some sort of garbage
disposal
accepting and grinding everything i can throw out
if this were a giant baseball game, this paper would be
Willie Say Hey Mays, great centerfielder, making
deliciously slow
basket catches of every ball hit by every batter
in either league
Luther Winslow, Second Base
Big parade
statue being carried down street
people cheering etc
green & yellow pom poms
people shout Winslow Luther! Winslow Luther!
was hometown politician of Early Times
they loved him ,
course they sorta didn’t remember exickly what he look like
what they don’t know or don’t care, to know
statue is actually for Luther Winslow, Luther Winslow
also hometown boy but play baseball in majors
incredible 2nd baseman frog legs leap frog frog
jump hump Texas Leggers bandy that about — a clove. The bolt
of the infield (not to be confused with shortstop,
bolt of
the infield). . .still, he shades towards 2nd and shallow
center balls are his. . .(1st base = belt of the
infield). . .driving the herd into the Ox Temple. . . (3rd is the
bell of the infield). . .chokes up on thick-handled
bat, wears red (or blue) longsleeved sweatshirt under
uniform, especially visiting grays. . .(2nd base is the
boil of the infield)
they thought Luther did something bad —
hung out w/ gamblers or married too young
or didn’t marry but just lived w/ a — dumdedumdum —
a man
so everybody hailed Winslow Luther, Winslow
Luther
but Luther Winslow felt proud just the same
because he was hearing his name in refrain
except for one thing.
no one noticed Luther
because the statue didn’t look like Luther
it looked like Winslow
BOB HOLMAN (www.BobHolman.com/) is the founder of the Bowery Poetry Club and the author of 17 poetry collections (print/audio/video), most recently The Unspoken (YBK/Bowery), Life Poem (YBK/Bowery). The Cutouts (Matisse) (PeKaBoo Press) and Sing This One Back To Me (Coffee House Press).