Batter's Box

Batter's Box by Maureen Ucles-Revised

Batter’s Box

By Maureen Ucles

I dug my Billy "White Shoes" Johnson cleats

Into the fine brown dirt
enclosed

By white powdered
 rectangular lines

I dug my cleats in about 2 inches or so

Into the batter’s box

Two inches or so

Looking up

 I faced the devil
named

Rocky Jenkins

I faced the devil
Who stood eight feet tall

From a mound of dirt

With a large, white

Slab of rubber

The devil incarnate

Peered down  at me

Looked right through me

Black clouds of smoke emanated from  his monstrous nostrils

The smug look and eventual smile

Revealed his deep dark  fangs

Ready to devour me

In an instant

I stood defiant,

“Not today,

Not now,

Not ever!

You will not take my soul!
Not this time.
Na uh!"

I  whispered
under my breath
 with every ounce of
courage
that I could
summon

Trembling, sweating,
 twitching,
inching
closer in the box
anxious for
the unknown 

Grasping
Clasping
Confidence

 Digging my heals into the soil with

 white soled-cleats

2 inches or so


Fidgeting

I clutched

onto

A twenty-five inch aluminum bat

Waiting, waiting, waiting

 for Rock

 to bring the heat

 to inflict more suffering
I breathed out slowly, slowly, slowly

My heart raced, raced and raced
 Determination under fire

He wound up
Slow motion

I grasped the bat tighter

Bit down on my lip

tasted my blood
in my parched mouth

The  red-laced  baseball

Whizzed through the air

Waist high

Fat enough

To hit  through the sky

My eyes balls widened

The meatball served up

With everything

I had

I swung
for the hills

CRACK!

Heads turned abruptly

to left field

Eyes lifted in flight

“It’s going.

It’s going.

It’s gone!”

Over the the double high fence

Into the next field!
The ball stopped it's momentum
on the far
pitcher's mound!

Home run baby!

Home run son!

Yes!

I did it!

Yes, I did!

I walked,

then trotted,

and I finally ran,

Touching each base effortlessly
Walking on air
Grinning then

Smiling from ear to ear

Grand slam!

Grand slam baby!

I rounded third

Stared into his

elusive, evil eyes

I nodded,

In respect

I just beat the devil!
I whispered
Laughed and  then cheered.

Jumping on home plate with two feet at once
KERPLUNK!

I just beat the devil!

I picked up my twenty-five inch aluminum weapon

I walked past the batter’s box

                                                 Sliding my Billy "White Shoes" Johnson cleats

Dragging them deep

Two inches or so