Pete

Sandra Marchetti

It was the day after
he lunged to a knee
in the left centerfield
gap and stole a double
then caught a ball
out front that would have
carried to the street—save
a bang off the scoreboard,
two halves of one whole
 
inning. The boy was
riding his bike at midday,
 
fishing rod in hand,
the suburban streets
laced out before him.
His head, bottle blond
and buzzed in blue stars
bobbed over each hill
and I knew this kid
was chasing home
to watch him play.
 

Sandra Marchetti is the author of three full-length books of poetry, DIORAMA
(Stephen F. Austin State UP, 2025); Aisle 228 (SFA UP, 2023); and Confluence (Sundress
Publications, 2015) as well as four chapbooks of poetry and lyric essays. Her poetry appears in Ecotone, Poet Lore, Blackbird, Southwest Review, Subtropics, and elsewhere. Essays and stories can be found in AWP’s The Writer’s Chronicle, Pleiades, Mid-American Review, Barrelhouse, The Account, and other venues. She is Poetry Editor Emerita for River Styx Magazine. You can find out more at sandramarchetti.net.

Caitlin McPhee is a Blue Jays fan and illustrator from Calgary, Alberta. Thank you Jordan Kormos for your continuous support. See more markers at @onewarmline on Instagram. 

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