When even metaphor turns its back on you

Two guys walking, tall guy speaks:
You know even though I've written this season off, it's not like I'm over it.

 

---

Two guys walking, tall guy speaks:
How did it happen that the Sox need to go 9-10 in their remaining games just to win 85?

 

---

Two guys walking, short guy speaks:
Wound meet salt.

 

---

Two guys walking, no words exchanged:

 

---

Two guys walking, tall guy speaks:
I suppose we should just roll with it.

 

Two guys walking, short guy speaks:
'Spose so …

 

---

---

Two guys walking, tall guy speaks:
I mean this playing out the string and all.

 

---

Two guys walking, tall guy speaks:
It gives me time to think

 

---

Two guys walking, tall guy speaks:
About the leaves gathering in corners,

 

---

Two guys walking, tall guy speaks:
lichen greening the high gray rocks,

 

---

Two guys walking, tall guy speaks:
and the world sailing on beyond the dunes —

 

---

Two guys walking, tall guy speaks:
huge, oceangoing history bubbling in its wake.

 

---

Two guys walking, short guy speaks:
Yeah, the whole world sailing off on the SS 2006 Yankees Champion Ship while we're in our little sailboats getting tossed in its wake and throwing up over the sides …

 

---

Two guys walking, short guy speaks:
Nice image that.

 

---

Two guys walking, no words exchanged:

 

---

Two guys walking, tall guy speaks:
Fuck.

 

---

Two guys walking, short guy speaks:
Yep.

 

---

Author's Notes:

The tall guy's long speech "It gives me time to think … oceangoing history bubbling in its wake," is from Billy Collins' poem "I Ask You" in the collection The Trouble with Poetry: And Other Poems.

Comments

[Bob]

Thanks, H.B. And I was actually in a good mood this morning.

Anyway, you know what the most startling fact in that Maz article is?

"As recent as July 25, the Red Sox had the second-best record in baseball."

[h.b.]

No kidding. Second best record on July 25th to wondering if they'll even be able to break the 80 wins mark today.

[hosed]

I didn't know Hall & Oates were still together. Heck I didn't know they were Sox fans either.

[h.b.]

Hall and Oates! That's too effin' funny.

[Dave S.]

Easy, ready, willing, overtime
Where does it stop, where do you dare me to draw the line?
You've got the body, now you want my soul
Don't even think about it, say no go

I-- I'll do anything that you want me to do
And I'll do almost anything, that you want me too, ooh

But I can't go for that (No can do)
No, I can't go for that (No can do)
Oh, I can't go for that (No can do)
I can't go for that, can't go for that, can't go for that

[IkeG]

Man, with John Hall kicking for the Redskins last night, the H&O references were flying around:
"Whoa oh, here comes the linebacker ... watch out, boy, he'll chew you up"

Because his kick is on my list...

[Rob in CT]

Ha! Man, there are some clever people on this board. To quote Wayne's World, "We're not worthy, We're not worthy..."

[illegitimate son of dwight evans]

You bastards will all rot in hell for getting those songs stuck in my head.

[Monty]

My mom thought they were called haulin' oats, till just last year.

[Devine]

Whereas for me...I just keep picturing my high school history teacher every time I look at (the back of) the tall guy.

[ygbluig]

never mind the 9-10 to win 85.
The bigger question is will they do better than 5-14 to finish above .500?
I'm not taking that bet.

Oats is carrying a most stylish manpurse, I must say

[Mike]

Eh, I will settle for seeing Ortiz clobber the Yankees this weekend. There's always next year.

(I keep telling myself that more often...)

M

[h.b.]

Devine, FWIW I imagined both of these guys as either high school teachers or grad students. Your comment has me leaning toward h.s. teacher for them.