| InterBoard Poetry Competition | |
WHO'S ON FIRST
OR THE MYSTERY OF HARPER LEE
F.C. Black
(The Writer's Block)
Who savors the essence of infield grass,
relishes the random breeze of the swung bat.
Shadows crease the alley, crowds hush thin.
What sports a pissed mug, shuffles pontoon dogs,
puffed cheeks dribble brown. The battery marks time
with gentle lobs and signs no longer secret.
They meander. Who sits on the dusted bag,
thinks about how I Don’t Know, guardian
of the hot corner, gently pounds his glove
kept oiled all winter, rotating the shoved
ball perfectly in the pocket. The board
blares goose eggs, bleachers echo ennui,
a wave without beginning or end.
Tomorrow fingers the pill’s seam,
contemplates. Who tips his cap to Why
and Because in left and center.
Right remains a mystery. Could be
Miss Harper Lee for all we know, peppering
the opposition with innuendoes,
shyly graying under artificial light,
dedicating her next shoestring catch
to Mister Capote, who’s dead.
Judge Christine Reed’s comment: “Excellent take on Abbott and Costello's famous routine with a twist. Musical lines and exciting language.”
About the InterBoard Poetry Competition
Archive of IBPC Winners
3rd Place Winner, October 2002
