by Rajesh C. Oza
In memory of Louise Glück, 1943-2023, winner of the 2020 Nobel Prize in Literature
When Louise was a young-adult,
The Orioles were high-flying.
Dave, Jim, and Mike were 20-game winners;
Brooks, Davey, and Paul were Gold-Glovers;
Boog and Frank slugged homers to grateful fans;
Earl shoved dirt on umpires’ cleats.
Days before Louise died,
The Orange Birds were swept.
Balty fans wept salty tears of sadness:
“We were made fools of.
And the scent of mock orange
drifts through the window.
How can I rest?
How can I be content
when there is still
that odor in the world?”
(Referencing Glück’s “Mock Orange”)