Thursday, July 20, 2017

Envy Wallowing

Imagine for a second that you’re Mookie Betts.
He’s about your size. Runs more, lifts more,
But sideways you’re about equal. Imagine
That you rolled a seven, hit the number,
Put your money on the longshot horse, drew
Inside for a straight-flush; imagine you blasted
The walk-off hit that wakes up the stadium’s
Pagan Thank You. You have a god’s body
And enough treasure to start your own country.
Imagine it’s guaranteed, no fine print, all yours.
Imagine flying an airplane after hitting a homerun.
Imagine sliding on the turf to snag a slicing hit.
Imagine stealing second then third then home.
You are Mookie Betts, oyster and pearl,
The best thing that happened to your team,
The best thing that happened to your friends,
The best that ever happened to your family; go ‘head,
Ask them. Imagine you’re Mookie Betts eating
Prime rib in a classy place with an umlaut name and a chef;
Someone in the lavatory wants an autograph
After you pee and wash your million dollar hands,
Mookie Betts, the best thing since regular guys
Were invented. Imagine being resident on Mt. Olympus
With the other beauties, a chest of gold and diamonds,
Platinum, jewels glittering in piles, and someone
Somewhere building a temple, an altar for bowing
In cap and jersey, Mookie Betts, number 50,
Boston Red Sox home colors. Imagine being Mookie
Betts with the kind of money only a moron
Or a saint could squander, and having a name like Mookie,
And all you ever have to do is show up to be loved,
Just get out of the car with your entourage
Of friends, walk into the building, the stadium
Toward the front where the emcee is standing, waiting
With his microphone to introduce the greatest person
In the world, the one and only you. Imagine
Being Mookie Betts for an eternal second.