(I wrote this poem during another late October World Series. Seems appropriate for today.)

Of Time And Johnny Damon
by Jeff Baker

It is October Thirty-First, Two-Thousand-And-Nine
I am sprawled on my Brother’s couch watching the World Series
(The one where Johnny Damon stole second base
and seeing third base unattended, stole it as well)
We are munching Halloween candy from a pumpkin-shaped bowl
And then I notice that it’s Eleven O’Clock
Central Daylight Time. And I realize that in that moment
We are sitting there in October watching a game being played in November.
And there’s an eerieness to this that goes beyond
kids begging for candy dressed as ghosts and witches
and the fact that it’s all because of time zones and television.
An hour later November comes to Missouri
And after that Daylight Savings Time vanishes
Becoming a darkened Jack ‘O Lantern
On a cosmic front porch somewhere.
The next night, we watch the next game
the ending taking place at the same time, around Eleven.
Innings and time zones slicing together.

—end—