A Nation's Constant by Michael

Slavery & wars and heroes & tragedies. Each has come and gone, but our national pastime remains. Share these memories and more through this insightful poem that declares baseball A Nation's Constant.

"I was a handyman with a trusting hammer, I called Hank..." - Michael Steven Richards in A Nation's Constant (2003)
A NATION'S CONSTANT

United States of America by Baseball Almanac

by Michael Steven Richards © 2003

Published: Baseball Almanac (2003)

I arose in a time of turmoil, when men were traded like horses

I have witnessed enemies become friends, and friends become enemies

I've noticed winners with tears of joy

And I have seen losers with looks of grief and despair

Still young at the turn of this century

I bared eyes on the horseless carriage and the flight at Kittyhawk

I gave life and a name to an orphan who became a sultan

Then I granted him an Ironhorse too

I was devastated when eight men compromised their childhood dreams

I chipped a tooth on one of the toughest Georgia peach's known

I survived both world wars and any other my homeland has faced

I've been both beat up and pampered

I have seen children grow and mature under my wing

I saw a miracle that shocked my followers in a summer of love

Spahn and Sain pray for rain and the triumph of Coogan's Bluff,

I was a handyman with a trusting hammer, I called Hank

A few times in my life I've been perfect, and fell short on many others

There have been many tragedies in my life including depression and a strike

People have seen me on T.V., in person, and even on the radio

Children are put to bed with stories I was author to

I am a bond of greatness, between father and son

A splendid splinter in the working thumb of America

I have seen lots of changes, but I, myself, have not

I love my followers as they love me

And thats why I will always be A Nation's Constant

A Nation's Constant by Michael Steven Richards



The author makes wonderful use of our national pastime's rich history yet rarely ever "speaks" the name of any ballplayer. Share with others your thoughts about this poem on Baseball Fever.

Review thousands of other off-the-field events, in our Year in Review section, that took place while A Nation's Constant was taking place.

Did you know that the author of this wonderfully written baseball poem may be contacted through a special arrangement made with Baseball Almanac?

     

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