First Base, Low in the Stands
First Base, Low in the Stands
Suzanna de Baca
By Principal Park
the lot is full,
cars pressing in close
like a quilt of August evenings.
Seventy-five degrees,
a cool breeze off the river,
anticipation humming louder
than the cicadas.
We weave our way to Section S,
past the footlongs and the popcorn,
draft beer sloshing,
craft brews with names too complicated to say,
children darting in jerseys
that hang like borrowed futures,
fathers juggling pretzels and nachos
in both hands,
mothers steering strollers
while negotiating on cell phones,
grandpas in I-Cubs caps nodding slowly,
teenagers in uniforms of their own invention,
a parade in the span of a concourse.
We find our seats,
first base side,
low in the stands.
Andy and Emily slide in just before
the anthem,
off-key,
a few notes trembling.
Hats come off,
eyes shine,
then, Play Ball.
I don’t recall the innings.
A few hits,
maybe a home run.
We were talking,
Andy’s infection,
how close he came.
My step kid’s surgery.
The way crisis passes quietly
until it doesn’t.
Behind us,
a couple with a newborn.
Eight weeks.
Tiny jersey,
hands opening, closing,
a starfish learning air.
The hot dog cannon rolls out.
A woman beside Andy
throws her arm high,
snags the foil-wrapped catch.
It lands in her palm
like it was meant to.
For no reason,
tears come.
Small, unannounced.
Suzanna C. de Baca is a native Iowan, proud Latina, entrepreneur, author and artist. She is a member of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative. Her poetry has been published in numerous literary journals, including: Etched Onyx; Wholeness; Written Tales; Impermanent Earth; Voices de la Luna; Choeofpleirn Press; Our Silent Voices Anthology; Black Fox Literary Magazine; iō Literary Review; Yellow Arrow Press; The Letter Review (Long List and Short List); Way Words Literary Journal; Telling Magazine; Plate of Pandemic; Persimmon; LitEZINE; Blue Heron Review; Call me [Brackets]at University of Alabama; Consortium; Coalitionworks; Open Door; Snykronicity; The Mackinaw; Iowa Poetry Association Lyrical Iowa; Last Stanza; Monterey Poetry Journal; Ruth Weiss Poetry Contest (Honorable Mention) and other outlets. She is the recipient of the Derick Burleson Poetry Award and has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She lives in the rural town of Huxley, Iowa, population 4244.
Jason David Córdova lives in Puerto Rico as an illustrator and painter. Some of his art can be seen on Instagram at @jasoni72. You can visit his shop on Red Bubble.
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