Please, No Rain

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Hot July afternoons,
’70s sun blazing down on our wild youth.
Methodist church yard,
or the neighbor’s field behind their house.

We ruled the backyard league,
assigning positions,
scribbling plays in the dirt,
imagining ourselves NFL kings.

Kids from Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam joined us,
hands rough, English broken,
fast, fearless, slick,
learning the plays.
They were lightning on two legs.
We fumbled, we scraped knees,
we passed, we laughed.

Sometimes we wore helmets,
sometimes we knocked heads.
Crack of bats, tang of glove sweat.
Bloodied knees, sunburned scalps,
but we didn’t care.
Those were the days.

We traded football cards,
eyeing heroes on glossy cardboard,
as if we owned the world,
as if someday, somehow,
we’d be in the NFL,
wearing those full face masks,
looking like Roman gladiators.

Frank McManus knows the fastball’s coming.
Swings. Line drive.
Shatters the round silver trailer window.

We drop our bats, scatter, hearts pounding.
Mr. May storms up from his root cellar,
face red, yelling,
“You damn kids!”

I dive into the tall grass, left to center field,
heart thumping,
breathing like I just ran a marathon.
He doesn’t find me.
He doesn’t find any of us.

Me, my brother, the Malones,
the McManuses, the Codys.

We sit later behind the soda fountain
at the pharmacy on Ingersoll,
cool green rivers on ice,
tan, young, powerful,
laughing at our daring,
trading cards,
telling stories
about what we’d do
in the next game,
whose sister got their period.

We dreamed about summer afternoons,
praying it wouldn’t rain,
we owned it all,
if only for a moment.

Author's Note

If you’d like to hear more of my work, I recently posted a long-form poetry reading on my YouTube channel — one or two poems from each of my four books, read in a relaxed, uninterrupted session.

You can watch it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dY2euFFCXLI

Thank you for reading and supporting independent poetry.

— Thomas W. Case

Reviews

[Soren]

It is nostalgic and it is the last line that seals it "If only for a moment" it is in that moment of reflection that the feelings of nostalgia come. That lightning flash that raises the bumps on the skin and takes us back to those days of yore. very nicely worded Thomas it brought back memories of my youth and the days on the field with friends. Lovely

[Thomas W Case]

Thanks, my friend. I appreciate it.

[Soren]

You are most welcome Thomas

[FlatDaddy]

An excellent piece, T. Brings back some memories, but I'm with Michael Su Bear; that line about whose sister had their period was startling and seemed out of place. But a great read anyway.

[Thomas W Case]

Thanks. I appreciate it.

[Rosie C]

There is a lot of mixed emotions in this.

It has a strange, summery vibe to it. A lot of describing of social atmospheres.

“Wearing those full face masks,
Looking like Roman gladiators.”

Those two lines got me so good.. I got a bit hooked on that.
I can sense that you had a great childhood. Full of joy and cheerfulness.

[Thomas W Case]

Thank you, much appreciated.

[John the Baptist]

If only for a moment, indeed. This one calls up memories of American early adolescence for many decades. Athletic heroes were emulated, their images collected and traded on cards. Yes, trading cards, telling stories, believing this fun moment would last forever. Looking back, we realize how brief it was.

[Thomas W Case]

Thank you, John. Much appreciated.

[Coyote Poetry]

Good to be a child in the old days. I play baseball and tennis till the night fell. I enjoyed the tales of youth Thomas. Thank you for sharing the outstanding poetry.
Coyote

[Thomas W Case]

Thank you, my friend. I appreciate it.

[Vol]

Thomas,
Really, all the elements of every boomer boy's history, right here in one poem... at least, for those of us lucky enough to be raised outside the great cities. It would help any teacher of those days in history should have this one to paint the raw facts of life in the fifties and sixties.
Vol

[Thomas W Case]

Thank you, my friend. Greatly appreciated.

[Chris Shaw]

So nostalgic Thomas, you took me there. What a wonderful write. A different time. I pine for old days at times. Thank you for sharing.

Chris

[Thomas W Case]

Thank you. I appreciate it.

[red93]

You are so right Thomas - the Sun was definitely warmer in the 70s. Lovely nostalgic feel to this, shades of JD Salinger at times. Exceptional ✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️

[Thomas W Case]

I truly appreciate it. Thank you.

[Neville]

It was exactly like that around here too .. I could not have put it better Thomas .. funny wot we remember innit .. Neville

[Thomas W Case]

It sure is, my friend. Thank you.

[Michael Sun Bear]

A great read, you surprised me with “whose sister got their period.” That’s not something we were curious about. But you resurrected my memories of football and baseball out in the fields. I had to read this through again and again, it so beautifully and nostalgically speaks of the joys of our youth. As always, well done my friend.

[Thomas W Case]

Thank you, my friend.