sunday softball

when the boys
gathered to play softball on sunday
mornings
crime went down
in oxon hill Maryland.
there's a picture of them,
black and white, that I saw once,
all looking
like a cross between the rolling
stones
and hell's angels.
black eyes, teeth missing,
casts on their arms.
bullies
and neer do wells for the most
part, drop outs,
with smirks and sideway hats.
but they loved softball
and fielded a very good team.
you just didn't want to slide
into home
when rounding the bases.