by Mel Glenn (Brooklyn, NY)
Feeling the need to catch the ocean breeze,
I went to a Brooklyn Cyclones game
in Coney Island, a minor league team
of my beloved New York Mets.
The game was sponsored by Hadassah,
the world-wide Jewish service organization.
Seated comfortably in the stands,
I was surprised to receive
their free gift: a baseball cap
emblazoned with the Star of David
surrounding the team’s logo.
A flash to the Jews of the 1940s
who were forced to wear such a star,
my relatives for one, plus countless others.
How wonderful America is
that Jews can gather at a ball game
and proudly display their heritage.
The next batter up is Jay Gordon.
Is he Jewish?
Mel Glenn, the author of twelve books for young adults, is working on a poetry book about the pandemic tentatively titled Pandemic, Poetry, and People. He has lived nearly all his life in Brooklyn, NY, where he taught English at A. Lincoln High School for thirty-one years. You can find his most recent poems in the YA anthology, This Family Is Driving Me Crazy, edited by M. Jerry Weiss. If you’d like to learn more about his work, visit: http://www.melglenn.com/
Author’s Note: It is the practice of many minor league ball clubs to offer their fans free giveaways like hats, shirts and game passes. Different organizations sponsor these events.
The Jewish Writing Project 