You can only fall in love once
for the first time,
with a girl, with your team.
You remember when the attraction was new,
the sweep of her hair,
the sweep of the field,
the grace when she walked,
the grace when they hit,
the beauty of her winning ways,
the beauty of their winning ways.
They both broke your heart, you know,
when she moved to the Midwest,
when they moved to the coast.
You never forget your first loves;
pictures of both stay in your head.
Though new teams and new girls
reappear with promise each spring,
you remain loyal and secretly wish
they would both come back to you,
declaring anew first loves prove indelible,
no matter the time, no matter the season.
THE POETRY OF THE GAME