Grandpa and eight-year-old
play pitch for the first time.

Baseball bleach white
fresh from the store.

Grass green,
breeze steady.

Grandpa in heaven
Always wanted to do this with his daughter.

Too high strung,
would get angry if the ball wasn’t thrown

right where she wanted it.
Always ended in raging and tears.

Grandson a flexible
easy going partner

Never gets mad,
never impatient.  

Grandpa savors the long-desired moment,
then finds himself grieving for all of the missed opportunities

with the generation in between.