This Simple Poetry
This Simple Poetry
Candice M. Kelsey
To have played catch
with Bartolo Colón
Big Sexy
for like ten minutes
in the outfield before a game
me with my embarrassing aim
him with his ill-fitting hat
a pair of outcasts
in that zone
of ball, bat, and glove
smiling
like it used to be
in the suburbs of Ohio
when I was a girl in the yard
with my dad
before the Alzheimer’s
like it used to be
in the bean fields of the Dominican
when Bartolo was a boy
rags for a baseball
milk carton glove
before his major league debut
just two kids
nothing even close to big or sexy
happy to have something
Candice M. Kelsey (she/her) is a bi-coastal writer and educator. Her work has received Pushcart and Best-of-the-Net nominations, and she is the author of eight books. Candice reads for The Los Angeles Review and The Weight Journal; she also serves as a 2025 AWP Poetry Mentor.
Elliot Lin is a law school student who spends their free time musing about sports and how they shape or reflect identity. You can find their other sports-related illustrations here, on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram.
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