‘Hometown Piece for Messrs. Alston and Reese’ by Marianne Moore (1959)
To the tune: “Li’l baby, don’t say a word: Mama goin’ to buy you a mocking-bird. Bird don’t sing: Mama goin’ to sell it and buy a brass ring.” “Millennium,” yes; “pandemonium”! Roy Campanella leaps high. Dodgerdom crowned, had Johnny Podres on the mound. Buzzie Bavasi and the Press gave ground; the team slapped, mauled, and asked the Yankees’ match,…