Thursday Take-Twos

There is a lull in sports right now. Baseball is at the mid-point of the season, basketball and hockey are over and college football has yet to begin. Wimbledon and the World Cup are finished, and fans of those non-traditional sports have to wait until the U.S. Open or the year 2014. You know the NFL off-season is a snooze-fest when the biggest story revolves around which team will sign T.O., if any. I could talk about the British Open and the emergence of some guy named Rory. (Honestly, who names their son Rory?) I could try to see what’s new in the world of cycling, but with Lance Armstrong racing, it lacks excitement.
Baseball is really where it’s at as we hit the middle of July. Which teams are still contending and which are already writing their seasons off? What players will have the greatest stock during the free agent trade deadline? What managers will lose their jobs and how many prospects will be called up in late September for debuts? There are questions all around the league concerning injury updates, rotation statuses and lingering slumps or streaks. Some teams headed into the All-Star break on the rise (White Sox) and others have dropped off slightly and have not been playing up to their potential (Twins). Will the Mets collapse and can the Yankees repeat? Which teams will snag wildcard tickets into the post-season? Since I am working on four hours of sleep, I will not predict or begin to address these questions at this time. Instead, I leave you with a poem that has nothing to do with any sport. Contained in the following verses are the words that have swarmed around in my mind for too long. I just had to put them on paper.


Fifty-two Flowers
There are fifty- two weeks in a year
Yet it takes two seconds
To fall in love with you dear
The sad soft air upon me lends
An indefinable longing for you here
My blissful strive to guard your heart
Leaves blue tranquil flowers along
A distinguished trail when we’re apart
Concrete emptiness where you belong
Replaces my tears for our beloved start
I take for granted the boundless light
Provided in this endless life
With an unceasing desire to hold you tight
The days do fade but love remains rife
Long after the sun gives way to night
My tired eyes see only clear
Yet the thrill of you is infinite and obscure
A joyous spirit who I yearn to be near
For you, my sight is without a blur
Fifty-two weeks throughout the year

Parting Points: Song of the day- Tommy Two-Tone’s “867-5309”