AFTER SCHOOL

That's the image
that stuck with me,
through all the years
proud, smiling parents,
faces pressed against
the park fence, cheering
their kids team on

it was only softball,
after school, teams sponsored
by the local small businesses
in the neighborhood

Like Arthur's candy store
and Pioneer supermarket

the school yard a buzz,
spectators standing on
park benches, basketball
games running full court
while D'agostinos scores
another two runs,

Parents pressed against
the fence, excited about
softball in the fall.

Reviews

[CS Anders]

Why did it stick with you? Was there something beyond the image that made it so memorable? What did the softball game signify? I think your poem would hit even harder if you answered those questions, or at least hinted at an answer to them.

[Rene Velez]

Oh...it's in there CS Anders...look closely.