BIG GAME BLUES

At last, is this to be
the year that ends a century
of futility for the Chicago Cubs,
will all the Windy City pubs

erupt with shouts and joyful screams,
fulfilling hopes and dreams
of three generations, the loyal fans
who’ve filled Wrigley Field stands

since 1908 when their team last won
a World Series? Or will someone
in the bleachers, reaching from above,
grab the fly ball headed for an Alou glove,

will the gods of summers past permit
a grounder to elude a Durham mitt?
This can’t happen again, no way, you say,
but just in case, on big game day,

flash a blue pendant, an amulet to ward off
the Greek version of the evil eye. Don’t scoff,
get involved and do your part to help reverse
the Billy Goat Tavern owner’s curse.
And it wouldn’t hurt a bit if you
wear an azure bracelet, too.