Poems tagged ‘Italy’
Okay. Okay. Enough Already!
Outside Soho’s Bar Italia…
As I passed by there, yesterday
I’m sure I heard a suave barista say…
(Pray, excuse my Italian by the way),
“Calcio sta tornando a casa*
Problema per l’inglese?
E casa e Roma”.
Far From Down. In London Town.
Aim dog’s abuse at; the manager,
Spineless members of the team,
The slick suave svelte, Forza Italia
Destroyed a united nation’s dream.
Try n ignore those rabid Billy Bunters
Embarrass our beloved country on T.V
National anthems, jeered in front of us,
Those who choose to take the knee.
Come the harsh dawn of reality
Reflecting on the game
Take the plus’s, fluff the history
Look toward, with what was gained.
That curse of losing semi-finals
At long last, laid to rest
For those detractors in denial
We lost, a game o’ chance agin the best.
A young team, plus classy gaffer
With-out baggage on his back
Might eventually be the answer
To a winning mentality we lack?
On a sunny morning, penning a poem
In a shattered, hung-over London town
Football may well be at home in Rome
But…I ain’t letting that get me down.
Sometimes You Know When it Isn’t Your Day
sometimes you know when it isn’t your day
somewhere somehow
deep inside that feeling
we’ve all been here before
in our lives in our world with our teams
and when it happens
surprise surprise
words like fine margins
and not quite the finished article
still don’t cut it and still don’t ease the pain
sometimes you can see it so clearly
on the night during the battle
and later in hindsight
in the cold light of day
we’re just not there yet..
and …whichever way we analyse it
however we look at it
dissect it inspect it or try to reflect it
sometimes you just have to say
we just weren’t good enough
huge loads on young shoulders
expectation through the roof
soaring hopes anticipation
all reduced to desperation
football can be so cruel sometimes
you start well you sit back
maybe you are too weak up front
you win or lose control
maybe just too defensive full stop
we can go on and on
and we will
but in the end
bottom line
they were better than us
and like it or not
for all the rollercoaster incredible journey
we’ve all been on this past month
we are still …again
a work in progress
and they
with their history and style
have been there done that
and got the t shirt…
we will grow like a flower
we will come back
so much to learn..
but will we ever get a better chance?
because right now
it’s time to lose the clichés …
you know the ones
“we move on we regroup we rebuild”
etcetera etcetera etcetera
blah blah blah
because as many a pundit will say
times like this
don’t come around too often
and when they do
times like this are hard to take
but let’s be honest
we’re alive and we’re here
and there is so much to be proud of
and as Miles said…..
as we drifted out in silence
from the Albert and it’s warmth
back to the world
of rainy streets in Summer
where bedraggled sad-faced
England-shirted strangers
pass heads down ..
“it’s only a game guys…
and we open at 5pm tomorrow
with Italian pizzas”
Bless.
Heartache In The End ~ Day 22 Final Euro 2020 haiku
heartache in the end
one more big lesson to learn
still we should be proud
When England Take On Italy (Again )
when England take on Italy
what’s there to worry you or me?
they are an unknown mystery
and have so little history
a well-trained dog is all we need
to teach us how to hold a lead
we better not play prettily
when England take on Italy
Oh Italy oh Italy
you’ve always been a bit dodgy
your Cosa Nostra Mafia show
your match-fixing so macho
your Berlusconi Mussolini
album stickers from Panini
Zola Pirlo Pavarotti
and Peroni with biscotti
cappuccino coffee creamy
basil pesto and linguini
Venitian squares canals and bars
where you could really use some cars
we cannot lose we cannot fail
and just like in that fairy tale
we have the coach to take us all
but will we turn up at the Ball?
I hope we don’t play dismally
when England take on Italy
oh Italy oh Italy
I’m struggling here to find or see
the slightest thing that you have done
except grow olives in the sun
and all those roads you built to serve us
aren’t enough to make us nervous
your awful leaning Tower of Pisa
the Roman Empire Julius Caeser
Panacotta Tiramisu
Pasta and Spaghetti too
Your tasteless tacky Gucci bags
cannot compare with our tea bags
which when we’re making up a brew
stay in the cup more than we do
I’m sure we’ll thrash them fifteen three
when England take on Italy
when England take on Italy
oh why should we sleep fitfully?
our history speaks for itself
look at the trophies on our shelf
we are the finest in the land
we’ve even got a brilliant band
no need for some Da Vinci Code
when Southgate’s Army hit the road
we know the ending to the story
England always grab the glory
we better not play prettily
when England take on Italy
So Italy yes Italy
go keep your perfume from Capri
your indoor fireworks Balotelli
all those works by Botticelli
and singing waiters swaying hips
cannot compare with pie and chips
and you can strut in your Armani
we’ve got vegan rolls and sarnies
your girls on mopeds flying past
in dresses screaming style and class
who wave and often whisper “Ciao!”
we’re far more cool in Stroud somehow
the Final holds no fear at all
we’re much more dangerous off the ball
and stick your marble heads in Rome
’cause we’ve got Kane and we’re at home
I’ll change my name to Penelope
when England conquer Italy
Finally
An Exocet crashes neath a bar
Courtesy of a fledgling rising star
Progeny o’ Hans Christian Andersen’s wonderland
Portly partisan punters scream aghast
Having conceded one at last
Coming home, ain’t looking like the red-tops planned?
Suddenly…an O.G, a double dodgy dubious pen?
A more than able Kane, eventually prevails…again
The marauding Danes resolutely held at bay
A steely Southgate throws on an ace in guile
Forgoing a Jack oozing panache n style
To grind out a dour result, yet win the day.
Gareth’s ultimate goal, achieved,
A final reached, a nation mightily relieved
The curse of losing semi’s finally laid to rest
On Sunday evening Forza Azzurri, our foe
Past-masters in guile, stop, start, catenaccio,
Whom if we desire to be The Best? An awesome test.
Fratelli d’Italia.
A re-ignited Spain, should be applauded
Their efforts praised, and rightly lauded
Luis Enrique (of Gijon), prepped a proper mustard team
Hats off to an out of sorts Alvaro Morata
A shadow up-front, an area he often failed to flatter
Whom under death-threats, kept alive a nation’s dream.
Once again, Italy, catenaccio in their DNA
Stand resolute (as one) to seize the day
Tis a sight to see a committed team defend for fun?
Yet despite the classic Italian counter attacks
I thought Forza Azzurri might well win the match…
Witnessing their incandescent Fratelli d’Italia sung.
Italy Spot On ~ Day 20 SF Euro 2020 haiku
Italy spot on
toe to toe they ebb and flow
Spain leave heads held high
We’ve Won in Rome. We’ve Won in Rome…
In there, fighting still
Beating Ukraine four goals to nil
On a balmy night in The Eternal City…Rome.
Time to shower, board a plane
Fly back to Blighty, face The Danes
On Wednesday night in our Eternal Home.
Say…we dispatch the marauding Danes?
Are we a match for Italia or Spain?
On current form? I’d say the answers…yes.
Tis looking like this could be our year?
Let’s raise the roof, scream aloud n cheer,
Support the chaps…in their quest for success.
On the subject of success, though I digress,
Please raise a glass, come Monday next,
To 73 years, of our absolutely blinding…NHS.
We’ve won in Rome
We’ve won in Rome
We won four-nil, last night in Rome!
The road goes ever on, t’wards our Eternal Home.
Italy stand strong ~ Day 18 Euro 2020 haiku
Italy stand strong
who can stop a team reborn
raised by Mancini
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Welcome to Football Poets -- a club for all football poets, lovers of football and lovers of (alternative) poetry. Discover poets in every league from respected internationals at the top of their game to young hopefuls in the school playground.
Publish your football poems here and then discuss them with your team mates and fans. We're archived by The British Library, so your masterpieces are in the safe hands of a world-class keeper. What a result!
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Latest Poems
joe morris
28th April 2024
Richard Williams
26th April 2024
joe morris
25th April 2024
Denys E. W. Jones
25th April 2024
kevin halls
23rd April 2024
Alex Saynor
23rd April 2024
joe morris
23rd April 2024
Crispin Thomas
22nd April 2024
Denys E. W. Jones
21st April 2024
joe morris
20th April 2024
Crispin’s Corner
In Memoriam
Kick It Out & Christmas Truce
Latest Comments
29th April 2024 at 2:47 pm
Hi Denys,
Yes Richard Williams you’re a brilliant wordsmith, my friend. When I first saw your football poetry I thought it was the superb Guardian sports and music writer. I once had the honour of sitting next to Richard Williams while at the Independent on the sports desk. He writes about music and sport with immense knowledge and authority. I’ve read a couple of Richard’s books recently. Great writer rather like you Richard Williams the Pompey fan. Congratulations on promotion.
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28th April 2024 at 5:59 pm
Thanks Denys. Yes your replay poem was superb.
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26th April 2024 at 4:46 pm
Nice work, Joe. You were quick off the mark with that! Good one from Richard Williams too I see.
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25th April 2024 at 7:33 pm
Hi Denys,
Thanks mate. I’ll do it now.
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25th April 2024 at 1:56 pm
Thanks Joe,
you might like to write a poem yourself on the same subject…
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23rd April 2024 at 4:03 pm
Hi Denys
With you all the way on the abolition of FA Cup replays. What are they doing to the game?
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23rd April 2024 at 3:59 pm
Hi Crispin,
Yes sorry mate. Villa are still in Europe. Mistake rectified.
Cheers
Joe
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20th April 2024 at 12:04 pm
Hi Joe
Shouldn’t your title read your poem Farewell Europe England to everyone exccept Aston Villa ?
I know you mention them in your poem , but I do feel sorry for Villa re the national press .
Largely ignored. the hype was was all about Man City & Arsenal with a bit of a nod to the Hammers..but hardly a mention of Villa..
So well done to them
C
.
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19th March 2024 at 8:00 am
Hi Crispin. Chris Sutton on the radio has gone for a Chelsea v Coventry final. As we know anything can happen in the Cup, and I reckon we can go to the final.
We’re still in with a chance of the play offs too, so lots to go for.
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19th March 2024 at 7:41 am
Hey Kev
Let the masses drool over their odds on City v Unted Final, but who knows how pressure can hit.
Cov and Chels will be rightly labelled as having no chance..but hey …stranger things have happened..
so Chelsea v Coventry…that’s the Final for us!
Best
C
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