poemwrig4 Sam’s Last Game

Sam’s Last Game

by Will Wright

Last game of the season

I’ve still no got no hits

I’ve been walked

And been beaned

But my average? - the pits

I tell you, I can’t stand it

Every game I dread

My bat’s too short

The sun’s too bright

My arms, they feel like lead!

And then there’s our coach Slaughter

He makes me wanna cry

I’m at bat

And he yells at me

“C’mon, Samantha, try!”

I wouldn’t have to play this game

If I lived down in Peru

Or took a ship

Across the sea

To ride a kangaroo.

I should join the circus

And swing on a trapeze

Or fly a plane

To Africa

And live with chimpanzees.

But eight’s too young to fly a plane

Or so says Ginny Slaughter

I guess she thinks

She knows it all

Just ‘cause she’s coach’s daughter.

She says that real ball players

Spit tobacco in a cup

Now, does she think

That I’m too dumb

To know she made that up?

Maybe they wouldn’t make me play

If I got really fat

Big enough

To hide the sun…

Oh no! I’m next to bat!

I step into the batter’s box

And squint my eyes up tight

I’m not sure but

I think it helps me

Swing with all my might.

The pitcher’s Touey Jackson

He’s not afraid of me

The best I’ve done

Is foul out once

But usually? “Strike Three!”

Touey’s tall for a kid my age

And throws the ball real fast

Next thing I know

The umpire says

“Strike one!” The ball goes past

My friend Jamal is there at third

And Jackie’s on base, too

The scoreboard says

It’s eight to six

The umpire says, “Strike two!”

Coach Slaughter scowls at me, and screams

“Sam, you’re our last out”

Then why put me

Up here to bat?

And does he have to shout?

Touey throws and I swing hard

I’m giving it my all

I feel a jolt

And hear a ping

I think I hit the ball!

The ball sails high into the stands

It’s caught by Jackie’s dad

It scares a girl

Who drops her cat

But, it went foul. Too bad

The cat runs out onto the field

As Touey starts to throw

He turns his head

He’s so surprised

His pitch comes in real slow.

I watch the ball as it glides in

And swing my bat around

This time, I see

The two collide

And hear that pinging sound

The ball bounces off the pitcher’s foot

Coach Slaughter yells, “Go! Start!”

If it takes a while

For me to run

Hey! I’ve never done this part!

I run along the first base line

As I throw away my bat

When Touey moves

To throw me out

The first basemen’s got the cat!

The ball zips past both cat and boy

As I turn for second base

It bounces off

The walnut tree

Three players giving chase.

Carla throws to the girl at short

As ‘round the base I run

The ball sails high

Above her head

Hey! This is kinda fun.

I head for third. The ball rolls out

To a fielder, bending over

He doesn’t see

The ball at first

He’s found a four-leaf clover!

And now I know I’m heading home

The catcher’s Ira Rosencranz

For the first time

In my life, I slide

Sure glad I wore long pants!

The ump yells, “Safe” as I slide in

I whoop and tag home plate

Ginny yells

“You did it, Sam!

We won the game, nine, eight”

And now the season’s over

As I hear my teammates cheer

And though I really

Hate this game

I can’t wait to play next year.