WILLIE

               – June 18, 2024

Willie Mays passed away today.

The “Say Hey” Kid was 93 but really was

A life-long youth, always in my mind the buoyant

Spirit trying eagerly to please and to succeed. He was

Thoroughly New York in attitude. His Giants dragged his

Body to that windy Bay but he never really left the boroughs,

Starting off in Manhattan and finishing in Queens, beginning

In the Polo Grounds (as did the Mets) and later bringing his

Hall of Fame career and all five tools to Shea Stadium

(As did the Mets). Let some other poet sing his great statistics.

Let some believer in metaphysics note that his famous 24 is

Psychically connected to Jackie’s 42. I hurt too much to waste

Your time. Now he is gone but he will always be around, much

As a treasured friend or precious relative. If baseball were to

Come to life and whisper to us fans sweet words of love,

The voice we’d hear would clearly be the eager joy of Willie Mays.

He will be missed but will live on in each true fan’s best memories.