Sport
Here in Australia there was an Australian Catholic Social Justice Statement released for this weekend. It is on sport and is titled ‘A Crown for Australia: Striving for the Best in our Sporting Nation‘. Spending time with this statement brought images and recollections to my mind. Hence we have a free verse.
Sport
Conjures up scenes
Of “Back Yard Ashes”
Of footy on the clover
Our green knees
Bringing mothers’ frowns.
Of that feeling
The glug, glug, splutter
As chlorinated water
Sprays out our nostrils
And mouths
And
Even hours later on
Oozes out our ears.
Of those foggy morns
Boots crunching
Astride blades of frosted grasses and weeds,
Straining through the mist,
“Who’s got the ball?”
“Me mate, or one of those buggers?”
Of that thud
As your back and head hit compacted turf,
And you look skywards
Musing
“It’s a bit early in the day to be seeing stars!”
Of peddling the bike
While yabbering to the person behind
And then…
It dawns…
They are not there!
You are riding free! Free!
For the first time!
Oh! The exhilaration!
Then you would go
Everywhere on the bike
Ride to cricket
Play
Ride home again.
Up and down hills.
You followed that little ball
At times on fairways
More often in the rough.
You reefed racing carts
On Cornish concrete circuits.
You pummelled in paintball.
Ball hogs and bullies,
Stars and numpties ,
It’s all part of the story:
Great moments in sport!
Simon C.J. Falk 26 September 2014
Simon's still stanza 