Fatherhood seeds the reign of vulnerability: Steel-toe boots demand calloused but open palms, and the never-ending inning birthed a gritty bullpen. They’ve tweaked the mound but it’s always been like this. Fortunately, when clouds look like liger cubs, a maple tree can become a barrel, and is our son waiting to learn a launch angle previously undiscovered. I’ll remain perpetually short of declaring war. Boiling rapids for him, downriver from someone humming Vivaldi. — KG NEWMAN
KG Newman is a sportswriter who covers the Broncos and Rockies for The Denver Post. The Arizona State alum’s first four collections of poems are available on Amazon. More info and writing can be found at kgnewman.com. He lives in Hidden Village, Colorado, with his wife and three kids.