After “The Long Stretch” by Jacob Lawrence 
 
Umpire, oh umpire, 
in blue, white and black, 
what is your cry? 
Fair or false? 

Three arms up in flight, 
two toes on the bag, 
with no ball in sight, 
what will be your cry? 

Fingers like claws, 
scratching for their goal-- 
he stretches his leg 
as far as it will go. 

You’re barely two dimensions, 
with your exaggerated features, 
sitting at the tail-end 
of a Harlem Renaissance. 

Both in white uniforms, 
white caps and red socks, 
black cleats on each foot, 
and playing the same game. 

The only characteristic 
to tell them apart 
is the color of flesh 
that wraps their bones. 

Umpire, oh umpire, 
when given power to change a play, 
will you be honest, 
or give in to the roaring crowd? 

Long stretch-- 
the loud smack 
of cowhide against 
full-grain leather.  

Peanuts 
and 
Cracker 
Jack! 

Jackie, oh Jackie, 
I can barely see 
through the cloud 
of dust surrounding you.  

Is that your belt? 
Or in the cloud, 
has a demon swooped down 
to steal your victory? 

Grabbing you 
right at your waist, 
hooked claw 
pulling at your navel. 

This could go one 
of two ways: 
a seat at the table, 
or a seat on the bench. 

Mr. Robinson 
of the Brooklyn Dodgers, 
protector of first base. 
First to represent his race. 

Though it was not a rule but 
a “gentleman’s agreement,” 
agreed upon by men 
who were anything but gentle. 

Mr. Robinson, 
seventy years have passed. 
Americans look back 
and thank you for your bravery. 

Dodgers, oh Dodgers, 
first of modern MLB 
to integrate your line-up, 
showing America what should be. 

Though it took twelve years 
for each corporation to agree, 
in ’59 the Red Sox were 
last to deem baseball free.  

Looking at “The Long Stretch,” 
now in a museum, 
a boy named Max 
ponders the painting. 

He says of the players: 
“Even though they’re 
different, they’re 
both kind of the same.” 

This is the reaction 
given in a world 
where kids are not taught 
to hate based on flesh. 

Lawrence calls the 
“struggle of the 
American people” 
a beautiful thing 

as he captures 
the momentous events 
of African Americans 
excelling in modern time. 
​
This is America’s game, 
though not always played fair. 
The success of our people 
​will not stop at baseball.

Shannon M. Ortiz is a junior majoring in English with a minor in Creative Writing. She is a wife, a mother of two, and a Marine Corps veteran. Her career interests gravitate toward anything that would expand her knowledge in humanities, but her real dream is to write inspiring and silly stories for children and young adults.