Last At Bat

Last At Bat

Last year I was playing baseball

Run in the yard and down the hall

Mess up my room, fix some lunch

Go to school to learn a bunch

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After school I’d shoot some hoops

Summers camping with scouting troops

Then Big C set up his shop

Trot a few feet and have to stop

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Order jumped ship, Chaos followed

Sunken eyeholes, skull hollowed

White coated docs prodding at me

Xray techs, chemotherapy

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I lost my hair a bit at a time

So my friend Joe made up a rhyme

About a boy went bald too soon

Got sunburned head if out at noon

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Hairless old boy, ain’t I a beaut

Wonder if Linda would say I’m cute

If only I could have a single kiss

Her smile is what I mostly miss

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Linda’s doing her cheerleader thing

Wonder if she’d have worn my ring

Tommy will probably ask her out

Face in pillow, scream and shout

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Kick my feet and cry just a bit

Mama would call it a hissy fit

Daddy tries to act all strong

I know he thinks he’s done wrong

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I hope he knows it’s not his fault

My love for him will never halt

Now I lay here in a hospital gown

Trying to smile as nurses frown

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Tried my best to pray for strength

On my knees for hours at length

God hasn’t answered me or Mom

Except with the big old cancer bomb

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Pain and fear they worm inside

Deadly cells in my marrow hide

Slithering deep into your guts

Rot and pestilence dig out ruts

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Pity and worry are all I see

When my friends look at me

I know they’d rather be out at play

Than in this hospital with me all day

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I try to tell them it’ll be all right

Though it gets harder not to fight

Please Mom, just send them home

Let them be outside to roam

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No need to try to give false hope

Fate tied a noose with my rope

Soon I think it’ll all be done

Barely walked, I’ll no more run

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Just fourteen and barely started

Yet soon from life to be parted

All I wanted was a chance at life

To love another, take a wife

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Cancer doesn’t care about fair

Young or old, here or there

Yes Dad, I know it’s not the same

But can’t I have one more game

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Take me out to the old ball park

I’ll round the bases till it’s dark

Get my glove and toss a quick pitch

My last ‘At Bat’ then on the bench

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Afterwards try not to feel real low

Just hold my hand, Mama, when I go