fox stands up it was a great crowd - what a crowd! his friends had gathered to witness his rebirth a rare sight indeed in a world torn apart by cowardice and greed courage paced to and fro stage shoes shined with sting his wit fine tuned for banter and bits of bawdy flings carefully planned antics of a tightrope clown urging us to follow - and we do upon a field of dreams his heart reaches out with a steady hand and rein pulling the horse through loneliness and pain fox watched the shadows of heads and clapping hands for those who go before a legend in the gates biting his bit and kicking for a chance to toy with fate - 'ladies and gentlemen!' with a crowd roar he soars carried through the tables upon shoulders he adores - 'the legend - john fox!' never missing a beat his nick nolte mugshot sends us reeling in our seats his hawaiian shirt bulging with self mocking despair I sit in awe of the man who climbed upon the stage and found himself there punchlines piled upon us forgetting about our fears now tearing at our ribs and tickling us to tears after the show he walked to the lake alone to feel the morning he stood on a baseball diamond watching the sun rise slowly over the blackened water as he stepped up to home plate his thoughts were flooded by a time capsule boy from a hundred years back staring into the sun just wishing to get a hit once again - fox stands up! smiling at his life returning its blessing upon the glassy waves of a crimson sunrise he swung at a fastball and cracked his bat whack! - a home run! I stood there as the boy just waiting for my pitch trying to change the world with words and laughter when the mind steps aside and bows to its master I now see hidden magic I never could have imagined fox rounding the bases his grateful tears falling into the sun and raining upon us all