Baseball is very much like the game of life
New players come in, older players leave
They are there for a period of time
And a specific tapestry they weave
They win, they lose
All part of the game.

Entering the game, they stand at home plate
and prepare for balls a pitcher will throw
A slider, fastball, change-up or curve ball
Plus the ones which are thrown - too high, too low.

Or they hold their swing and let balls fly by
The umpire calls the shots and shows no doubt
when he either cries ball four - take a walk
or he will instead shout strike three - you’re out.

To lessen injuries - they may receive
Players will often wear protective gear
Yet they may still get hit, hurt, need time off
to heal before they play again that year.

They learn to follow their coaches advice
and try to work together as a team
They strive to enhance their unique skill sets
If they celebrate wins - their faces beam.

As they accept the challenge of the game
Players will run faster, touch more bases
That steady learning - they need to succeed
as they willingly go through their paces.

They will learn to catch the ball more often
and throw it correctly to the right spot
Players will learn to be better batters
and not accept “getting out” as their lot.

With experience, they learn when to swing
They may hit the ball and run some bases
or they may knock the ball out of the park
when they hit a home run, in some cases.

They struggle to see well in the shadows
and experience both sunshine and rain
But take pride in all their accomplishments
and even their losses are not in vain
They win, they lose
All part of the game.