FANTASY FOOTBALL
a Lennon lyric
My football team was champion in my
fantasy league; my star, my fantasy
league dream: a rookie running back, a league
leader in rushing making him a leader
in scoring. My undrafted find was in
fantasyland something fantastical.
Achilles’ Spear was my team name. Achilles
pain trapped my star tight end that gave me pain
deciding when to take the chance, deciding
when to sit him, lose his skills, risk the win.
His speed, his size, his grace were special. His
hands, so strong, were touchdown gifts. How he handled
affairs off field, night-cloaked, were his affairs.
Blood-bold full-inked large muscled arms were blood
signs scoring not just bad-ass choice, but signs
life choice touched-down cheering death over life;
spear thrown from gun not for Achilles’ Spear.
Fantasy jail-bound is not fantasy.
—from Rattle #50, Winter 2015
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Lester Graves Lennon was featured in conversation in this issue. Read an excerpt here.