We Got a Game To Play

Spider legged lightning
Reflected in the tubing
Of the baseball player’s wheelchair
Marches toward the playing field.

The batter’s helmet glints
As thunder rains down
Mingling sweet sweat with droplets
Players roll into the dugout
Their wheelchairs drip slightly
No longer on fire from the lightning bolts.

Baseball caps askew
The players wait
As the spidder legged lightning
Crawls across the darkened sky.

The amputee outfielder fixes his mitt
A paraplegic pitcher works his fingers on the ball
The coach reviews his plays.

A corner of light appears in the sky
As the spider legged lightning recedes.

“Play ball!” shouts the umpire
And rubber tires burn against the soil of the dugout.
Two players collide laughing
“Knock it off,” snarls the coach
“We got a game to play.”

Copyright 2007 Ruth Harrigan