March 31, 2020

Maybe the second in a series.  Could I crank out 19 of these?  I guess we will see. For now, part of the COVID-19 Quintetine.

Retired 19 Jerseys

Sure, I watched Tony Gwynn 

Hitting the gaps and spraying the fields,

Idolized Steve Yzerman

Hitting the net and spraying the ice,

Watched Joe Montana

Hitting Jerry Rice before spraying champagne,

Knew Willis Reed put NY on the map

Hitting his jumpers and spraying the ball;

But at this point, I am thinking

All of their numbers should be retired.

Who's really going to snap them up

If there won't be any crowds?

People quickly learn how to turn

Absence into fondness

Or at least affordance

Of what is important and what isn't.

After all, it won't be Tanaka or Greene,

McGruder, Williams, Cooper, or Kemp,

Toews, McGann or some player

To be named later that will suffer.

Bundled woman in the parking lot,

Or guy with rag in the bleacher,

Beer seller that will disappear

When the tickets go unsold.

Pull those jerseys off of the line,

They all carry the number 19

And well past this summer,

It's an unwanted number.

Previous COVID-19 Quintetene: Educated And 19.