500.

(for Eddie Murray)

It's the night before 2pac Gets gunned down And Mike Tyson will Win his second heavyweight title In record time Amidst a chorus of Fix, Fix! And this poem will be embryonic I sit at a bus stop Knowing how tragic, yet strong Black masculinity can be Bob Costas will say your numbers Can't touch Mays' or Aaron's And yet you'll sneak into their club More successful than when you tried To evade reporters When you got 3000 hits 40 homers a year was not your mantra Like Hank, even Mays only hit 50+ twice Yet, you stood, black and polished as the Louisville slugger you swung When Cal Ripken, Jr. got 2131, he thanked you Cos you told him, come with your lunch pail Everyday, ready to play And people will respect you I can relate to you too, brother I know slow and steady wins the race

Erren Geraud Kelly is a poet from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who has been published in African American Review, Obsidian II: Black Literature in Review, and Fertile Ground. He will be featured in Beyond the Frontier, a forthcoming anthology of work by young black writers.