Play Ball: Invocation of the Muses

In Celebration of Baseball Season & National Poetry Month

Ninth inning. Calliope is pitching 
a gem for the Holy Nine, another
epic performance. Behind the plate, crouching,
Urania gives the sign, positioned for
the high, hard, inside heater. Erato
holds the runner at first with one away.

In centerfield, the fleet-footed Clio
slaps her Gold Glove. In right, Melpomene
shades toward the gap, while Thalia, in left, guards
the line. The wind & pitch: a grounder skips
past the diving Polyhymnia at third,
but slick Euterpe at short fields & flips

to Terpsichore, who–tagging, spinning,
throwing–ends the game with a twin-killing.