Las beisbolitas (final)

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So excited that my poem "las beisbolistas" will be featured in the book "Mexican American Baseball in Pomona Valley." Thank you Richard Santillan!
They played in fields
smaller than the men’s,
right before the men hit the lots.
These mujeres were no warm up acts!
Across the Southwest, las Tomboys, Aztecas,
Rock-etts y las Moreloettes,
traded their aprons for a chest protector
y un bat. Not torteando tortillas on Sunday,
punching their glove-pocket
ready for the heat of the grounder.

Las beisbolistas
took me down memory lane.
My little arm hooked around my Ama’s elbow
walking safely down the street.
Little arm that could throw a ball fast,
directly at a bully’s right calf.
“Don’t tell me girls can’t play ball!
Next one will be a homerun. I call right field.”

Mujeres beisbolistas?
They did it for the fun, the winning,
 the friendships and the aches.
Filled many fields with their dreams
with each round of the bases.
Las beisbolistas broke
racist, gendered barriers one crack
of the bat at a time to

play Béisbol the game they loved.

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