April is National Poetry Month. Introduced in 1996 and organized by the Academy of American Poets, the month is an effort to increase awareness and appreciation of poetry in the United States. Throughout April, the Post will be featuring poems about Alameda penned by local writers. To start us off is Gene Kahane with a poem called Ball Town.
Ball Town
Hear the indoor storm of leather balls bouncing on hardwood
as little Curry/Caitlin dream-to-be’s shove shots up swish praying
While outside mitts drag in the dirt fielding grounders
fungoed by dads who later pitch to metal bats swung Shohei hard, pigtails flailing
Welcome to Ball Town where Willie, Chris, Jason, Jimmy and Dontrelle
grew up and played until their feet fit professional sneakers and cleats,
wearing glory jerseys and winking to us back home who knew them when
Their acolytes, piled in the caravan each weekend and hauled to practice and play
before pooping out on the ride home, may not know these names, but the oldsters do,
sitting at Ole’s and Jim’s, each with an anecdote tucked in their shirt pocket
like a baseball card forever pristine
Gene Kahane is the founder of the Foodbank Players, a lifelong teacher, and former Poet Laureate for the City of Alameda. Reach him at [email protected]. His writing is collected at AlamedaPost.com/Gene-Kahane.
