They said I need to change the launch angle and split open the soil between the mound and the plate. That that could be a first step to eliminating lockjaw and cleaning up the wax out in the briar patch. Forget the moral, they announced, There are no contrails left for that And besides, the resentment already has pockets, Which means the lockjaw could return, Unless you hike into the underbrush and take this bloodroot as an antiplaque. So on I went, forgetting my cage, imagining cloud-kelp, pulling my cap down tighter on my brow, smelling instead of feeling, following their directives on negative self-talk as I stalked deeper inward, repeatedly looking up at the sky to see red seams disappearing. — KG NEWMAN
KG Newman is a sportswriter who covers the Broncos, Rockies, college and high school sports for The Denver Post. The Arizona State alum’s first four collections of poems are also 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.