67 Riots

by James Finn Garner

To quiet the crowd,
Willie Horton
Stands on a squad car.

The home town hero,
The schoolboy star from Northwestern High,
Tries to tell them to forget their rage
And go back home.

But one man
Can’t tell two hundred men
To shrug off the sins of ten thousand men,
As the fires of anger and humiliation spread to shops and homes and burns like a furnace,
A crucible that doesn’t purify but only destroys.

Even a man in the hometown uniform
Stitched with the old English “D”.

 

3 Detroit Tiger Haikus

by Gary Gillette

Detroit Tigers Haiku No. 1

Legless catchers spawn
Famously angry peaches.
Hay market/Hey, Michigan!

Detroit Tigers Haiku No. 2

Wahoo Sam divides
Matty Mac from Cobb the Peach.
The loon shrieks “Ee-yah.”

Detroit Tigers Haiku No. 3

Hank’s Hebrew hammer
Batters crystal hatred…knocked
To green fields beyond.

Posted 4/25/08

OPENING DAY…

By Gary Gillette

Opening Day. Green.
April grass: green. Ballpark, green.
Fans’ hearts red—heads blue.

Posted 4/8/08

2008 AMERICAN LEAGUE THREE-LINE TEAM PREVIEWS

BALTIMORE

Is it too late to call Cal?
Or even Bob Bonner?
With Hernandez or Fahey, the season’s a goner.

BOSTON

The pitching staff is shot to hell.
With Schilling, Beckett, and Colon unwell,
They’re Dice-rolling at the opening bell.

CHICAGO

Will the Sox get greedy
With Crede?
Watch your back, Ozzie—or, rather, watch Joe’s.

CLEVELAND

It’s time for the talent to show.
And with any luck (please, God)…
Maybe a new logo?

DETROIT

No injury worries—not even a tinge!
When any Tiger feels a twinge,
They’ll call on Brandon Inge.

KANSAS CITY

Tote that Bale, lift that Gload,
Another long year in KC?
Or a renaissance? These kids are beginning to be.

LOS ANGELES

K-Rod,
And Vlad the Impaler,
And a bunch of young pitchers hopping out of a trailer.

MINNESOTA

No cash for Johan or Torii,
But there’s money for Nathan—within reason—
Though he pitches just 70 innings a season.

NEW YORK STATE OF MIND

The Yankees won’t listen to reason!!
They’ll pull out their Wang
To open the season!!

OAKLAND

What’s that sound from the Street?
Is it Foulke music so sweet?
Oh, it’s Rich Harden’s shoulder, grinding like meat.

SEATTLE

Half the team has reached the big three-oh,
And aside from Ichiro,
There’s a lot of “don’t know.”

TAMPA BAY

They sent Longoria to Triple-A
To reduce his service time? Feh!
This franchise is still the pride of Mephistofele.

TEXAS

Trouble children, like Bradley and Hamilton,
And a pitching staff
Of no wheat and all chaff.

TORONTO

Toronto has Coats.
Maybe they’ll avoid
A cold April.

Posted 3/31/08