Hard Candy

by Ron Kolm

In ’86 I got totally addicted
To the New York Mets.
I went to many
Of their home games,
And watched a bunch on TV,
But mainly
I listened to play-by-play
On the radio.
I had a small red transistor,
Shaped like a piece
Of hard candy
Wrapped in cellophane.
The volume
Was controlled
By pretending to unwrap
One side—
The other side
Chose the station
You wanted to listen to.
I walked around the city
Holding it close to my ear
So I could clearly
Hear the games.
I went rowing
In Central Park
And stopped the boat
In the center of the lake
Because I was able
To get a game there
Without interference.
I almost got hit by a truck
As I crossed a street
Engrossed in a game.
But it was all worth it—
They won the World Series
That year!
I’ve never quite felt
The same way
About them since
Though I continue to enjoy
Unwrapping and sucking
On hard candy.