In his studio, when the weather warms,
Jackson Pollock thinks of the colors
he needs to present a portrait
of the coming baseball season.
He lines up his cans of paint,
puts his large canvas on the floor
and drips his paint all over it
to capture the tapestry of spring training.
Two primary colors dominate:
The expansive blue of the sky,
and the forest green of the outfield.
Other colors are sprinkled in:
The fire-engine red of a Cardinal’s uniform,
the liquid orange of a Met’s baseball cap.
Still more colors are dripped in:
the white of resin bags and baseballs,
the tan and black of baseball bats.
Take these colors, Jackson,
mix them all together
and you have prepared
the backdrop of baseball.
Sounds will come on Opening Day,
but the picture you have completed
will last in our mind’s eye all through
the spring, summer and fall.
THE POETRY OF THE GAME