Four burly boys with furry lips
Gripping four mugs of mud
The redhead bends an eyebrow when every crack lands with a thud
Every napkin is full with Xs and Os and intersecting lines
With 3-4s, 4-3s, Nickels and Dimes
On the fifth refill since sunset
Whispered details get spotty
"He might still be out there somewhere.
Well, I didn't see no body"
Thought I saw you there
Smoking on the sidelines
Must just be time
Playing tricks on my mind
In the stands with a can from the canteen, the kid was last seen with some man no one knew
As the panic poured over a scoreless fourth quarter, coach choked down the horrible truth
With one straight arm steering
Blue Voyager
Peering at the parks through amber shades
He's got a head full of legends, two names he won't mention, and one game he wished never got played
Thought I saw you there
Smoking on the sidelines
Must just be time
Playing tricks on my mind
In a year there's just three
And one switched to tea
The redhead retired
And the devil runs free
Inside the rookies, the lifers, an affine cypher, the fading memory of an ill-fated father, and me.