It’s a long journey when every step, every stair hurts
But I threw that out of my mind because that day
Was set to be a gathering of family I had not seen in months —
And what better place than a baseball stadium in the daylight
With the bright green grass and the sandy warning track
And the immaculate uniforms not yet marked by gameplay
Making me ignore the ugly ostentatious displays of ads and
Automated cheerleading and obnoxious graphics? I was there —
My grandkids and my daughter, painfully separated by a too long drive
And COVID threats for many months, showing up and hugging me and
Kissing and sharing stories of the journey to this game — by train and car
And pick-up truck and walking from the station and the over-crowded
Parking lot — and there they were, their voices music to my heart.
The game was an enhancement to our sharing — with the Mets
Coming through against the Marlins, hitting homers for the hometown
Fans, adding smiles and laughter to my family’s miracle of that day:
That we had all arrived and shared the day and got to hug and not Facetime.
Baseball was a perfect background on this chilly April day
To a simple family gathering that was really not so simple
Except in the long-awaited pleasure of the moment. We got to embrace
The moment, the Mets and each other.