I taught for six fulfilling decades,
Tried to share my love of books from classics
Such as Great Expectations and Hamlet
To more contemporary works, such as The Hunger Games,
And as I reflect on my career, which someone my age is wont
To do, I am acutely aware of the stepping stones and
That what I took for granted deserves recognition and
Respect and a place of honor in my consciousness:
I owe my career with the thousands whose lives I touched
In a positive, meaningful way – – – to baseball!
You see, that night I sat in a 1960’s Brooklyn classroom
With its homey ancient wooden desks and chairs and
Slate blackboard blanketed with white chalk dust,
Taking an exam that was a major part of the price of admission
To a New York City teaching career, and I was asked to write
About any non-fiction work; I chose to analyze the
Biography of a son of Brooklyn, a story I was so familiar with
From his time on the basketball court at Lafayette High to
His wild start on Brooklyn mounds to his best years playing
For Los Angeles. I passed that ogre’s challenge and
Continued on my own Hero’s Journey thanks in no small way
To baseball and to Sandy Koufax, who kept me company
On my road game from my hometown, the Bronx, on that dark
And thrilling Brooklyn night. Thanks to Sandy, I pitched a
Victory in that classroom so full of memories. It’s so much better
When your teammate is a proven winner!
THE POETRY OF THE GAME