CLOSER

Fingers on laced scarlet seams
a cutter’s flat five busts a batter into a minor key

a cutter drops like a muted bone’s growl
so much sadness in its sudden howl

a cutter that breaks bats
breaks hit streaks
breaks into the blues

a cutter that brakes and sails through swing and miss zones
breaks hitters’ souls
breaks into the blues

a cutter learned at your late pop’s knee
gripped like this, gnarled working knuckles
breaks planes away horizontal horizon
breaks into the blues

a cutter half a beast off-center, just crazy enough
breaks rallies, breaks momentum
breaks into the blues

a cutter, he’d sigh
moistened cheek, almost looked at me
eye to eye, won’t bring her back
breaks into the blues

a cutter, late movement
breaks gravity’s rules
breaks into the blues

a cutter that won’t bring him back
sends sadness deep into batter’s mind
breaks into the blues

a cutter breaks batters’ bones
wrist weak fouls
breaks into the blues

a cutter that changes keys
faster than Thelonius, mysterious as Miles
breaks into the blues

a cutter that makes you weep
breaks into the blues
breaks into the blues