The Head Of Ted Williams Poem by Susan Marie Watkins

The Head of Ted Williams

The head of Ted Williams
Sleeps in a can of liquid nitrogen
& Dreams of
Resurrection,
Of sunlit ball fields
Oiled leather
Green, green grass
The satisfying crack of
The sweet spot meeting the ball

Suspended in time,
It floats alone
In frozen darkness
Patient as the stars
That hang in space
& Waits,
Remembering
The Miramichi River
The wind
The water
The splash of silver salmon spawning
In furious flapping leaps

And so the head of Ted Williams
Slumbers on
Dreaming of
Easter morning
Claudia and John-Henry
Batting averages
Fighter missions
A tip of the hat
Stubbornly refused
While in the stillness of the lab
A silvery light
Limns the stainless steel canister
& Outstretched arms beckon
From its glow