it is so hard so hard
ideally the play is tried with two outs
caught in the middle
and less than two strikes on the batter
between their hate and his fate
left-handers using full wind-ups
once begun he had to run
provide the best chance
for his life
you will need about four seconds
but he always said:
to cover the distance
"above all else
from leadoff to diving slide
I hate to lose"

Joseph Stanton's poems have appeared in Poetry, Poetry East, Harvard Review, and numerous other journals. His latest book, Imaginary Museum: Poems on Art, was published in 1999 by Time Being Books.
He teaches art history and American studies at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa.

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