Sports Field

The walk was about twenty minutes away from the train station but it felt like we made it there a lot quicker.  Me and my two pals from high school were in search of an empty baseball field and were told we'd find one just past Hunters Point.  The weather guided us to the opposite side of the grassy fields and onto the side filled with industrial factories and auto repair shops.  The signs were rusty as they appeared to be holding on for dear life.  The other side of the street wasn't as grassy as initially thought.  The uneven concrete only pushed the plants towards each other creating a wild configuration.  Traces of scrap metal and potato chip bags could be found on the ground, almost camouflaging underneath the layers of grass.

We passed by a real estate office, a dog grooming place and a couple of comedy clubs and even some sports bars.  We thought soon we'd be regulars there during Mets games.  The further we walked, the further we felt from our own demographic.  Business suits and skirts flew by us with phones glued to their ears.  Funny that those who were heading towards the train weren't as much in a rush as I thought they'd be.  They were too busy chatting and laughing simultaneously.  The sidewalks drowned in messenger bags and slip-on shoes.  There was no room for parking as cars lined up looking as if they'd been there for years.  The concrete appeared to be getting smoother as we moved closer to field.

Condominiums grew closer as we entered a world that appeared brand new yet vacant.  A banner above a gated area read, "Coming Soon Queens Library."  The sight made me sort of smile.  I wasn't sure this place needed a library since there was already one located in Court Square just fifteen minutes away.  "Kids need their exercise," I thought out loud.  Every dog walker that passed us grabbed my attention as I did my best to name every dog breed I recognized.  The trees looked artificial as they were planted exactly twelve feet apart.  The ground was more white than gray as it countered the large black shadows from the high rise condos.

We could now see the bright green turf, as we stood a block away from the field we only heard about through a friend of a friend.  The perfectly squared tiles made it feel as if we were stepping onto holy ground as the wind whistled a tune filled with welcoming chimes.  Thick letters reading, "SPORTS FIELD" sat on top of a ladder shaped silver steel structure above a half open gate that we viewed as an open invitation.  The smell of artificial turf mixed with the sun burned steel was strange but comforting as we were finally at home.  Unfortunately it appeared that we weren't alone.

Distant chuckling and shouting could be heard as a group of older gentlemen took turns kicking a soccer ball from one side of the field to another.  It all seemed pointless to me.  Countless amounts of thuds could be heard echoing across the turf as the ball was being kicked in near rhythmic fashion.  We dragged our equipment towards the left behind a tall sturdy gate and onto wooden bleachers.  I nearly lost my balance walking up the steps as their was only a small amount of space in between each layered step

The clouds seemed to be closing in us as the gentle breeze began pushing us away.  Every now and again we'd see some of the players jogging on the red running track at the edge of the park.  They wore similar bright jerseys and shorts.  These guys think they own the place, I thought. A wide scaled light blue building could be seen behind the field with small silver balconies.  It resembled the Citi Bank tower not too far away.  If you manage to look high enough without hurting your eyes, you can see a few ant sized residents watching from above.  Leaves from the trees outside the bleachers soon began to join us.  The clouds would eventually betray us as they darkened and began sending drops of rain towards the turf.  The moisture in the air began to dampen the view of the field.  The trees danced left and right signaling the end of a colorful day and the beginning of a soggy night.