 |
| http://www.nationalsportsbeat.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies.shtml |
The Reason for Rainbows:
A Song for Baseball
by J. Patrick Lewis
There was an Old Man of Late Summer
Met a Winter Boy out of the blue,
And he whisked him away
From the city one day
Just to show him what country boys do.
Met a Winter Boy out of the blue,
And he whisked him away
From the city one day
Just to show him what country boys do.
He taught him three whys of a rooster,
And he showed him two hows of a hen.
Then he’d try to bewitch him
With curveballs he’d pitch him
Again and again and again.
And he showed him two hows of a hen.
Then he’d try to bewitch him
With curveballs he’d pitch him
Again and again and again.
He taught him the reason for rainbows,
And he showed him why lightning was king,
Then he fingered the last ball—
A wicked hop fastball—
He threw to the plate on a string.
And he showed him why lightning was king,
Then he fingered the last ball—
A wicked hop fastball—
He threw to the plate on a string.
Oh, the Old Summer Man and the Young Winter Lad
Spent the light of each day—every moment they had—
In the wind and the rain, or the late summer sun,
Where he taught him to pitch and he taught him to run
In the wind and rain and the late summer sun.
Spent the light of each day—every moment they had—
In the wind and the rain, or the late summer sun,
Where he taught him to pitch and he taught him to run
In the wind and rain and the late summer sun.
But when that Old Man of Late Summer
Met the Winter Boy out of the blue,
He said to him, “Son,
You can pitch, you can run,
But to hit here is what you must do:
Met the Winter Boy out of the blue,
He said to him, “Son,
You can pitch, you can run,
But to hit here is what you must do:
Just pretend that the stick on your shoulder
Is as wide as a bald eagle’s wing.
You’re a bird on a wire
And your hands are on fire—
But you’re never too eager to swing.
Is as wide as a bald eagle’s wing.
You’re a bird on a wire
And your hands are on fire—
But you’re never too eager to swing.
Stand as still as a rabbit in danger,
Watch the pitch with the eyes of a cat.
What will fly past the mound—
Unforgettable sound—
Is the ball as it cracks off the bat.”
Watch the pitch with the eyes of a cat.
What will fly past the mound—
Unforgettable sound—
Is the ball as it cracks off the bat.”
Oh, the Old Summer Man and the Young Winter Lad
Spent the light of each day—every moment they had—
In the wind and the rain, or the late summer sun,
Where he taught him to pitch and he taught him to run
In the wind and rain and the late summer sun.
Spent the light of each day—every moment they had—
In the wind and the rain, or the late summer sun,
Where he taught him to pitch and he taught him to run
In the wind and rain and the late summer sun.
According to Wikipedia, the Phillies "are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883." Their Class A minor league team, the Clearwater Threshers, plays at Bright House Field which is a coincidence because today is going to be a bright day. After I make my appearance and put in my morning hours at work, I am driving to God's Country to have tacos in Okoboji at the Taco House which opened yesterday. My bright day will also include hanging out with a dear friend while we eat soft shells and perhaps nachos with the best hot sauce north of Mexico (perhaps an exaggeration, perhaps not). It is going to be such a bright day that there will be "reasons for rainbows."
Today I am thankful for...
1) a long weekend
2) the Taco House
3) dear friends from high school
Comments
Wow, that's a lot of exclamation points. Just wanted to share my excitement. And, I loved the poem - I really enjoy the limerick rhythm, it's just fun.
Have a wonderful day!
I didn't know that about the Phillies - I'm learning all sorts of things about baseball teams!
Also, this is the second Elton John appearance on a blog post in the baseball blogging challenge - how odd is that?