My favorite of the Tim Coffey Baseball Poems--Like Ed Pitts, he lived it out in Burke County, had the Duende and certainly the spirit of AP

 

Coffey’s 62^nd, Between the Bases 

 

Thinking of Tim on his 62^nd, 

How when we played ball he was 

Forever caught in a rundown 

While the world moved on about us, 

Gliding as fast backward as forward, 

Chipped front tooth from a missed 

Half gainer from the high dive, 

“Moe” haircut flopping 

As he abruptly stopped and juke stepped, 

So confident, so elusive, 

No one would ever capture him: 

Ragtag catcher, rocket armed shortstop, 

Umpire, referee, swimmer, golfer, 

Baller, brawler, church deacon, 

Brother, uncle, husband, friend, 

Restaurant manager, salesman. 

Thinking of Tim on his 62^nd, 

Sixteen years since the Big C 

Tagged him out, 

How he’d have been playing 

With house money today, as they say.