The Day that Baseball Taught Third Grade

The Day that Baseball Taught Third Grade

after Brad Aaron Modlin

By Robert Fillman

Mr. Ripken explained how perfect attendance
is about more than just showing up. During  
 
morning announcements, Mr. Kalas crackled
a warm horsehide good luck to the Chess Club
 
before their match against their better-funded
powerhouse division rivals. In Language Arts,
 
Mr. Weaver diagrammed extravagant sentences
with his arms that made perfect sense to students     
 
despite their only knowing a few four-letter words.
Mr. DiMaggio explained how not to squirm
 
in your seat, how 56 could be considered
a prime number. Mr. Williams worked with students
 
at their desks on fractions, going over a worksheet
where every answer somehow came out to .406.
 
After lunch, Mr. McGraw talked about spirituality,
responded to every persistent question about faith
 
by saying, “You Gotta Believe.” For art class,
Mr. Maddux demonstrated how to paint
 
corners, how to create visual movement in pictures
using the slightest touch of a finger. Then
 
everyone stretched. The afternoon history lesson
was led by Mr. Robinson, who managed to integrate
 
CRT without ever uttering terms like discrimination
or privilege, instead passing around bottles and rocks
 
and rope as props. Realizing the afternoon bell
was about to ring, Mr. Buckner closed the day
 
by gathering everyone around him. He told the class
everyone makes mistakes, that everyone will be
 
remembered for something, so strive to be good,
above all else, always strive to be good.

This poem won the 2023 E. Ethelbert Miller Prize.

A lifelong New York Mets fan, Robert Fillman is the author of House Bird (Terrapin, 2022). His poems have appeared in Poetry East, Salamander, Tar River Poetry, Valparaiso Poetry Review, and elsewhere. His chapbook, November Weather Spell, was published by Main Street Rag Publishing in 2019.  

Elliot Lin is a college student who spends their free time musing about sports and how they shape or reflect identity. You can find their other baseball-related illustrations here, or on Twitter @hxvphaestion and Tumblr.

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