Peripatetic Pilgrim

 January 6, 1981  (I was 36) 

                        Peripatetic Pilgrim

I woke up in 1960 with a football too big in my hands

but decided to carry the ball anyway  After all I was Catholic

I couldn’t carry it far enough and began to learn to put it down

I went to Dallas, Dealy Plaza, and stood under the depository window

went to see the Cotton Bowl athletic museum and six flags

A friend convinced me boxing in his basement would be fun

I immediately took a shot to the right side of my head

It was then I learned to pivot  Pivoting was easy

all through that time  I pivoted through school upon marriage

into parenting around war onto dope politics and divorce

Every year from 1963 to 1973 had some kind of halo around it

Still it began with the spirit of that championship season in 1960

while I was still on the bench

Often I thought it was the coach who was champ

Sometimes I thought it was the players

Now I’d call it holy spirit  Not happiness entirely but light

a first morning on a journey to the East