THE POET DOWN THE STREET

Our house on Crestwood, in those days, was
Down the street from that of a poet.
A kid interested in words and writing then,
I introduced myself and got to know him.
We talked a lot; and he, being a poet,
Didn’t seem to work all that much,
So the conversations could last a long time.

A kid interested in words and writing then,
I tried to steer the talk in that direction.
But damn, he always seemed to bring the
Topic back to the Yankees and Braves
And our home-town team, the Kansas City Athletics,
And damn, I was a kid interested in words and writing
Then – but that was a long time ago.