THE FOURTH OUT©

ON A SUNNY DAY IN MAY,
THE ROBINS AND THE BLUE BIRDS PLAYED.
IT WAS JUST A SOFTBALL GAME,
EVERY GAME SEEMED QUITE THE SAME.

TIME MOVED SLOWLY, INNINGS PASSED,
FINELY! IT WAS THE LAST!
THE THIRD OUT, GOOD! THE GAME WAS DONE,
ROBINS WON IT, THREE TO ONE.

GOOD GAME GIRLS, YOU ALL WERE GREAT!
TIME TO GO, IT'S GETTING LATE.
"BATTER UP!" THE UMPIRE SHOUTS.
SOMETHING NEW? SINCE WHEN, FOUR OUTS?

"JEANIE'S UP" SAID COACH BROWN,
"EVERYBODY, PLEASE, SIT DOWN."
CONFUSION SHOWED ON MANY FACES
AS THE PLAYERS RESUMED THEIR PLACES.

A SWEET YOUNG LASS WITH GOLDEN HAIR,
STOOD MOTIONLESS, SHE LOOKED SCARED.
THE COACH PLACED HER IN A STANCE,
THEN, TO GIVE HER SOME CONFIDENCE,
HE PATTED HER AS HE SAID,
"O.K. SLUGGER, KNOCK 'EM DEAD!"

JUST THEN HER BLUE BIRD TEAM MATE PASSED,
"WHAT IS GOING ON?" I ASKED.
"OH, THAT'S JEANIE, DON'T YOU KNOW,
SHE'S NOT LIKE US, SHE'S KINDA, SLOW.

SHE'S THIRTEEN, JUST LIKE ME,
BUT SHE CAN'T RUN OR THINK FAST, SEE.
JEANIE'S NICE AND ALL THAT STUFF,
BUT SHE COULD GET HURT, THINGS GET ROUGH!

SO, SHE'S IN CHARGE OF BALLS AND BATS,
HOLDS OUT MITTS, AND JUNK LIKE THAT.
THEN, AFTER EVERY GAME IS DONE,
COACH LET'S JEANIE HAVE SOME FUN!"

THE PITCHER'S PACE WAS QUITE TAME,
A DRASTIC CHANGE FROM THE GAME.
EACH PITCH WAS TOSSED SO CAREFULLY,
JEANIE'D SWING, MISS, THEN SOON, STRIKE 3!

BUT THE PITCHER JUST IGNORED THE CALL,
AND KEPT TOSSING HER THE BALL.
IT WAS CLEAR, BEYOND A DOUBT,
SHE DIDN'T WANT TO STRIKE HER OUT!

THE CROWD SIGHED AS EACH BALL PASSED,
IN SUPPORT OF THE LASS.
CHEERS OF ENCOURAGEMENT FILLED THE AIR,
FROM ALL THE PEOPLE GATHERED THERE!

THEN, SMACK! SHE DID IT, SHE GOT A HIT!
BUT IT LANDED IN THE PITCHER'S MITT.
WELL, YOU'D THINK THAT BALL WAS A BOMB,
THE WAY SHE DROPPED IT TO THE GROUND!

SHE DROPPED THAT BALL FROM HER MIT,
THEN AWKWARDLY, SAT ON IT!
"RUN, RUN TO FIRST," THE PITCHER SQUEALED,
AS SHE TOSSED THE BALL TO LEFT FIELD.

JEANIE STOPPED AT EVERY BASE.
BUT THE ROBINS PUSHED HER TO THE NEXT PLACE!
FIELDERS FUMBLED PURPOSELY,
AS JEANIE RAN GLEEFULLY!

AS JEANIE RAN ACROSS THE PLATE,
THE CROWD CHEERED, "YOU DID GREAT!"
JEANIES FACE BEAMED LIKE THE SUN,

"I DID IT MOM! A HOME RUN!"

GOD WAS COACHING THAT DAY IN MAY
WHEN THE ROBINS AND THE BLUE BIRDS PLAYED.
BOTH TEAMS WON, BEYOND A DOUBT.
GOD BLESS JEANIE, THE FOURTH OUT!