7th Game : 1960 Series

—for Joel—

Nice day,

sweet October afternoon

Men walk the sun-shot avenues,

                                                     Second, Third, eyes

                                                     intent elsewhere

ears communing with transistors in shirt pockets

                                    Bars are full, quiet,

discussion during commercials

                                                      only

Pirates lead New York 4-1, top of the 6th, 2

Yankees on base,    1 man out

What a nice day for all this  !

Handsome women, even

dreamy jailbait, walk

                                      nearly neglected  :

men’s eyes are blank

their thoughts are all in Pittsburgh

Last half of the 9th, the score tied 9-all,

Mazeroski leads off for the Pirates

The 2nd pitch he simply, sweetly

                                                           CRACK!

belts it clean over the left-field wall

Blocks of afternoon

acres of afternoon

Pennsylvania Turnpikes of afternoon  .  One

                                    diamond stretches out in the sun

                                                     the 3rd base line

                                    and what men come down

                                    it

                                    The final score, 10-9

Yanquis, come home

(Paul Blackburn.)