One For Five

Two down, bottom of the ninth; you’re O for four today,
But one powerful swing could change an entire game.
Not only the game, but a whole series and season.
Eight months of hard work for one single reason.
Poster boy star and the league’s MVP.
Years of glowing recognition, but still no ring.
Your skills never questioned, still your greatness always in doubt.
Tonight you can erase any negative once written about.
The count is full as you fight off all the wrong pitches.
They say patience is a virtue; you wait on one that can be driven.
The once raucous crowd is now blanketed by silence,
For they sense this stage has been set for an unforgettable climax.
The man on the rubber opposing stares through to your core,
Knowing full well the delivery that he has in store.
But he is not alone; your glare welcomes the challenge.
The next millisecond holds the season, nay, a career, in the balance.
Hurling forth opportunity, he prays your swing catches only the wind.
Your body uncoils, snapping like a whip at a moment‘s notice.
The power surges through your body, unleashed from within,
As the lumber meets its objective with a furious explosion.
You stare in awe as outfielders crane their necks and raise their eyes.
Witnesses, as redemption soars like a dove amidst the black of night.
You round a path you’ve trotted already many times and look to the heavens with one finger pointed high.
While the other crosses your heart, with a little prayer and sigh, you thank Him for the opportunity to finish one for five.