AND THIS IS WHAT THEY CALL “CHARACTER”

The old tree, the one closest to the street,
Makes up part of our baseball field.
In fact, it’s an extra-bases killer for left-handed hitters.
You feel yourself crush that old tennis ball
Only for your line drive to bounce right back at you:
Interference! Everyone trots back to his or her previous base
And you step back to the plate with the same count.
A little annoying, but the tree is a significant part of the field;
To knock it down would ruin everything.
The street is part of the field, too.
When we hear the sound of car engines
Outfielders vacate the street and the ball is dead.
But back in play, a real bomb from the hitter goes over the street,
Over the fence, and into the neighbor’s yard for a home run.
Damn it, it’s about time we grow a tree that obstructs right handers.