And he said to them listen, listen, the kingdom of heaven
is like a baseball game. There are men on first and third
with two outs, the catcher’s eye strays to the opposing dugout,
hoping to steal a sign. A man with a bit of wood
scrapes at the dirt. As the one on the mound
winds up, the whole crowd holds its collective breath.
Suddenly the runner on first takes off.
The pitch is strong, true, and early; he has no chance.
But then a pigeon – a pigeon! – descends on the ball,
the rawhide cracks, the cork pours forth,
and it’s all over. An umpire starts singing “Ode to Joy”
to the tune of “Take Me Out.” The Goodyear blimp explodes,
and paper IOUs flutter down like confetti.
In all the commotion, scant attention is paid
to the runner at first, who is, even now, headed straight
for home.