Baseball Man

Drafted, signed, paid, groomed, called up,
sent down, called up, sent down,
reassigned, traded, traded, traded,
released, re-signed, a dozen towns,
leagues, a dozen years, a whirl
of county seats, blighted fields,
bad teams, women, humidity
and heat, thirty-one years old,
sore shoulder and back, a hummer
that won’t, no curve or change,
homeless, divorced, veteran
of suitcase, bus, beer, asked to coach,
carefully extends a big right hand,
shakes, sold to the organization,
this time for life.