|

1973 Cup Final

Andrew Harris

Wednesday, November 18th, 2015

1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 The greyness of the day has bled into the side
A sense of an engine spluttering, stalling, disengaging
Less of the calm majesty, the assured authority
Diffused in the slow, gentle dampness of a slickened pitch
Slim smiles, overworked gum, the impatience with formalities

2 Leave a comment on verse 2 0 Harried and hustled, uncomfortable with this irritation
An urge to swat, never satisfied, too many, too fast
Watson climbs into the leaden May sky undistracted
Defenders fall like rocket supports, the loose ball
Trapped in the expansive meatiness of Porterfield’s thigh

3 Leave a comment on verse 3 0 Time, for the white clad fan, has shuddered and slowed
Two guard the line, one who’d seen off menace a year before
Shot-stopping keeper, feet taking root in the ankle deep turf
The yellow trajectory, as if on a pre-determined orbit,
Arrowing in over the shoulder of a grimacing Bremner

4 Leave a comment on verse 4 0 Half accepted, half feared but time to become themselves
Nip and tuck, cheek and pluck would learn their place
But thoughts of the unthinkable seep, niggle, converge
A quarter of an hour passes, then another, speeding, racing
Montgomery’s fingertips raise, a tide held back by a single palm

5 Leave a comment on verse 5 0 And no more, beyond the burning agony, the shock of disbelief
The desire to urge that it start over, that it was some rehearsal
No claims of a tainted loss, no capricious intervention
This time no cloaking of the pain in glorious indignation
The numb trudge out, the helplessness of a crown surrendered

© Andrew Harris 2015

Source: http://footballpoets.org/poems/1973-cup-final/