by Michael Ceraolo
Occasionally a writer would call me “the black Wagner”,
and Honus was gracious enough to say
he was honored by the comparison;
I felt equally flattered by it
Some in later generations wondered
why we didn’t protest our exclusion more
I can’t speak for anyone else,
but my way of protesting was to play my best
against the white major leaguers
whenever we got a chance to play against them,
and by my play disprove the reasons usually used
as a cover for bigotry,
knowing our chance would come eventually
even if it was too late for me personally
Plus, I got to play ball for a living,
something not too many are able to say
Published in the Pennsylvania Literary Journal, Spring 2020
