I am lucky enough to have
friends on either side
of the religious diamond,
fundamentalists who swing from the right,
and atheists who bat from the left.
I stand squarely in the middle,
unsure which side to root for,
let alone play for.
I am caught between
piety and protest, tradition and rebellion.
There are so many teams,
as there are so many religions.
For which team do I sign a long-term
contract on the dotted line?
The Pittsburgh Protestants?
The Boston Buddhists?
The Miami MUslIm,
Oor the Jersey City Jews?
Doesn’t God pitch for all the teams?
Who is to say which team is best,
which team is strongest,
which team leads the league?
We are all essentially on the same playing field.
We are all part of the same cosmic lineup.
We need to feel connected,
no matter which team we play for.
We do not wish to be wandering alone,
unattached, in the far reaches of the outfield.
THE POETRY OF THE GAME