The Voice of God

by James Finn Garner

 As I sat in Section 660
Above the field where Gehrig trod,
I cursed the Yankees’ inept play
And muttered grudging praise to A-Rod.

Then a booming voice erupted,
Rattling beams and shaking sod.
Had sanity up and left me?
Or did I just hear the voice of God?

All eyes sought out the owner’s box
Where George S. kept his shrimp-stuffed bod.
What revelation would be uttered that
Had this crowd’s undies in a wad?

There stood Rocket Roger to declaim
(Feel free whenever to applaud)
That he’d weighed golf versus sleeping late,
And deigned to give the Yanks the nod.

“Hooray!” bellowed the drunken crowd,
Mouths agape like fresh-caught cod.
Yet I sat there with no response,
Unmoved, unsure, ungaped, unawed.

The feeling grew within me
With more than one fantod,
That this mercenary egomaniac
Wouldn’t rescue this year’s squad.

He’d win a game or three and show
His skills were not a fraud,
Then retire again, then change his mind,
A greedy, charmless, pumped-up clod.

Though many things, George S. is not
A cowardly tightwad,
But bills come due. Next year our costs
Will feel quite like a doctor’s prod.

 

Barry Bonds #13

by James Finn Garner

Now, everyone knows it’s legit
When Barry Bonds strokes out a hit.

It ain’t no shot in the rear
With the cream or the clear.

It’ s…genes and….hard work and…like, that shit.

Barry Bonds #7

by James Finn Garner and Stu Shea

Bud Selig won’t say if he’ll go
When Bonds has his really big show

And sets the new mark
For hits out of the park,

‘Cuz the commish ain’t a man to eat crow.

Barry Bonds #6

By James Finn Garner

With Barry Bonds back in the game,
He can begin to revive his good name

By dodging the press
‘Bout the big BALCOR mess

And looking for teammates to frame.

A Poem for Lou Piniella

by James Finn Garner

Quite a fella,

That Lou Piniella.
He ain’t yella,
You can tella.

He joined the Cubs
To lead those scrubs
And prove past flubs
Were yesterday’s stubs.

A Herculean task?
Don’t even ask.
In last year’s grotesque,
They finished dead last.

But with Al Soriano
And Carlos Zambrano,
The team may be on to
A World Series, pronto.

And if the Cubs win
A World Series, then
The fans will have gin
Drenching their chins.

If not, then old Lou
Will have some ‘splainin’ to do,
Which he’ll probably do
With a meltdown or two.