The Soul in Corwin's Eye

author’s note:

This poem was indeed “ripped from the headlines”.


THE SOUL IN CORWIN’S EYE

The headline read:
"No Win for Corwin".

and below, a photo showed the pitcher
sitting at the end of a hardwood bench
his head lowered
his shoulders slumped
his tears
hidden in the darkness
of a baseball glove.

The article said
young Corwin had struck out
thirteen batters

but his good work had all been for naught--
spoiled
by one bad pitch
he’d made way back
in the first inning.

Rough, yes
but maybe that loss
will help prepare Corwin
for an adult life
that often contradicts
what so many stories tell us
which is:

if we try for redemption
we’ll be rewarded at the end
with a victory celebration.

Because we accept that belief
early on
life can seem so unjust
later on.

But I don’t want
that sense of defeat
so I’ve adopted a different belief
which is:

our greatest victories
are usually only known
by angels and gods--

they can see the unseen
they can see the soul.

But sometimes
we humans also see the soul--
the soul shows itself in subtle ways.
For instance:

if I focus
I may detect
a clearer light
coming from your eye--
a beam that says
this soul has definitely grown.

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