#when i publish a book of embarrassingly earnest sports poetry you all MUST pretend you didn't see all of these on tumblr first

[moregraceful]

Ekphrastic pantoum on Zack Gelof and Lawrence Butler for @timebegins-onopeningday. ID under the cut.

Image: a picture and a poem side by side on a cream background.

left: a picture of Lawrence Butler and Zack Gelof of the Oakland Athletics taken by Michael Zagaris. They are in the A's clubhouse. Butler is seated while Gelof leans over to show him something on his phone. Lawrence is smiling. Both men are only partially dressed, but Butler is wearing a black A's team shirt while Gelof is shirtless.

right: a poem in light brown front on a dark green background. poem text:

Zack & Law Poem There’s a game soon, but this can’t wait. “I need to show you something – listen to me, look!” Their shared joys, a few years into a life. How could he hold back? Why would he? Not now. I need to show you something. Listen to me. Look. They shoulder a future too difficult to name. How could he hold back, why would he, not now– they have to hold on until it ends. They shoulder a future too difficult to name; that won’t stop him from sharing everything. They have to hold on. Until it ends: “Come on, look. Be here with me. It’s good, right?” That won’t stop him from sharing everything. Their shared joys. A few years into a life. Come on. Look. Be here with me. It’s good. Right? There’s a game soon, but this can’t wait.