Love Is Truly In Tact

A sports poem inspired by the legends of every game.

A pitcher licking his hand
For a better grip on the baseball,
A common maneuver on chilly days
For players of the great American pastime.
The hitter, eyeing the baseball, waits patiently –
A soon-to-be, natural and routine moment
In both the players’ and team’s existence
Will strategically unfold,
With tremendous love, enormous skill,
And gratifying luck or misfortune,
At tumultuous speed…

The sports being attempted and loved
At any level of play demand intense passion,
Unwavering integrity to rules,
And a highly sought-after framework or organization.
To participate is immensely desirable,
But even more noble is the distinct and honorable
Intention of wanting to play at a high level,
Or even the highest level –
A sport in which to hone one’s skills
Over the course of a career.
But whether we explore playing a sport
Or act so demandingly as rooters of our favorite teams,
The love we feel as fans, spectators,
And those athletes who inspire and motivate us
To be truly exceptional
Reinvigorates the sport
Through successive generations…