The Latency

sitting there at the Grill
seething
just after Boone’s
HR off Wakefield had
landed in the Stadium
seats

JJ came over
put a pint of
Bass down in front
of me and said

“don’t worry. 
next
year.

you
watch.”

and damn if he
wasn’t
right

I still don’t know
if he really knew what
he did for me
on those dark
sunken directionless
nights,
Double J
with his
smile and his
conversation
and his
grace

the only therapist
I could afford
at a time I
desperately needed
one

and then
last week there

was the news
that Wake was gone,
too,
at 57
far too young
that old line
but true

and it was one of those
reminders that
life can be a marvel
but nothing
is given

time does what
it wants

things evolve
degrade
emerge
grow
decay

and what we
think we know,
we don’t
not
really

so much of it’s
guesswork
and
flailing around
in the dark

but on the
good days the
light pokes
through

and
when those pockets of
light find you
you owe it
to yourself to recognize
how precious and
rare
they are
and to treat
them well

it’s been a
long time since I
posted up at the
Citta bar
and babbled at Double J
about nothing
over a glass of
Italian lager

hell, I hardly even
go to bars anymore

I think it’s because
I know it’s
never going to be
that good
again