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Andrew K. Peterson spent many nights on friends’ couches in Somerville during his twenties. He’s the author of six full-length poetry books, most recently Secret Equinox / Scorpio Journal (published by Spuyten Duyvil in 2023). In 2017 he co-wrangled for the Boston Poetry Marathon. He currently lives in Brookline, and continues to be a long-suffering Red Sox fan. Say hey at andrewkpeterson.com.

Andrew K. Peterson

TO FERNANDO VALENZUELA

phoenix to tucson
juan’s beat up blue
el camino drives
with windows down
the dust kicks up at dusk
dodgers on the radio
fernando valenzuela 
el orgullo de mejico
strikes out thirteen giants
now we all bleed
dodger blue

felipecito falls
fast asleep between
juan and me
we drop him at his mama’s
we’re fun while he stays
one weekend a month
we hike camelback
en el aire libre

tucson to phoenix
juan and me practice
english we learn
from vin scully
in morning we wake
to work the feed store

bailing hay
selling seed
for pigs and chickens

four more days
fernando pitch again
and felipe
call on the telephone

— Andrew K. Peterson

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