American Underdog
my dad
was big
on sports
he loved it all
I can see him now
jumping around
in his red pajamas
yelling at the TV
Go! Go! Go! Go!
jabbing the remote in the air
he’d get all worked up
over a touchdown
and laugh like a little kid
if it turned out
he didn’t miss a detail
or a call
or a play
or a look
he was all in
knew the stats
the style of the coaches
their history
how they recruit
think he loved the heart
you gotta have
to play full-out
other than sports
he was big
on movies
he’d read every single
credit line
rolling
and listen to the very
last note
to the ending song
and think about the story
long afterwards
if he was alive
on Christmas Day
Dec. 25, 2021,
he’d be sitting in the theatre
with a big tub of popcorn
a super-size drink
a bunch of candy (he smuggled in)
and a grin from ear-to-ear
barely able to contain
his excitement
over this new movie
he’s been dying to see
save me a seat, Dad
I’ll be there
soon as I can get away
don’t eat all the sno-caps!
TL