Wet Sox
Wet Sox
Paul Doty
Wet shoes and a rain delay…the sky over Boston broods like a Puritan contemplating pleasure,
for the pleasure of a spring baseball game we’ve travelled a few hours from the north past
mended walls and stands of birch trees reaching for errant pop-ups. The weather a zephyr with
bladder spent, stuck, and only the two of us in the rows of red seats, a furrowed field of
inattention, the sodden city dulled. There is, I guess, a serenity in a large space scoured of its
usual crowd, the quickened pace of a city in the rain and the echo of the near-empty ballpark—a
wrong way respite: years ago sprinting through the snow in Converse high tops, feet soaked,
gloves and the ball soaked, spring ball in what’s left of winter with shouted laughter and lilting
profanity, recriminations and then standing in the snow, a life-changing kiss. Tongues exchanged
like line-up cards, standing in sweaters hands on each other’s elbows in the first moment alone
all day, relief pitching. Road game to home games, it’s now sunny day catch with four children
confirming seductive-shared-wet-sneaker-feet walk the first base line to a life. Mist in Boston
and we don’t surrender Grandstand Infield Row 3 seats our sneaker clad feet too wet to fly, we
are sitting in the rain, why don’t we leave: we’re safe if we stay.
Paul Doty resides in St. Lawrence County New York, and is a librarian. He is a long-time Red Sox fan, his wife Agnes, is a Mets fan. They have a standing agreement to not discuss 1986.
Andy Lattimer is a gay guy who lives in Southern California. He makes comics, most of which are about baseball. You can read them on his website, andylattimer.com
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