I Go Back

Whenever I smell
the smell of a freshly-graded
dirt infield
I go back to a late-June day.
I am at the plate
with the tying run
on first and two outs.
I swing at a
high fastball
and connect for a
towering walk-off homerun
I trot the bases and jump into
my teammates arms at home.

  But this is just a dream
My real story is walking
up to the plate
and striking out.
The players and the crowd
find it as routine for me.