yankees vs. red sox, first installment

January is a Red Sox fan. I’m a Yankees fan. We both love baseball — lots and lots. A few weeks ago, we looked ahead on the schedule to find a Yankees-Sox match-up and decided that during the 4-game series in early August (now) we would watch the games and write poems about it. We’re shooting for three poems: #1 – free write; #2 – write without using the word “baseball”; and #3 – write a poem using four words provided by the other poet.

Last night’s game was game 1, and I wrote a poem after the game. What I have decided is that baseball is like anything else: hard to write about. Especially at first. It takes a familiarity with writing about something before you can get past some of the more obvious language and images. I can tell you that this writing challenge isn’t long enough to establish the relationship with baseball poetry that will save me from its pitfalls. But I can tell you, I love the challenge and I’m having fun with it. Fun to write side-by-side with January. Fun to have an excuse to sit on my butt and watch baseball.

Here’s my first attempt — “Picking up the season’s first win against the Sox” — posted at “i am maureen” (leave me a note here if you need the password). Game 2 is tonight, but I may not have a chance (and I may not have the focus) to watch it. Tonight is girls’ night. Not just any girls’ night. It’s the one in which we celebrate July birthdays. So my baseball poem #2 may not directly follow game 2. But games 3 and 4 could save me.