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Crucial Stops at Critical Times

Alex Saynor

Monday, August 12th, 2024

1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 After all that transpired: injuries, bereavements, heartaches,
relegation to No.3 before a transfer back to Cardiff Met:
crucial stops at critical times.

2 Leave a comment on verse 2 0 After everything you didn’t plan –
the sun behind a cloud over Mumbles,
the re-take when you stepped off your line:
crucial stops at critical times.

3 Leave a comment on verse 3 0 After everything you thought was right –
research on penalty takers in the whole League of Wales,
a cancelled engagement with the Gowerton guy:
crucial stops at critical times.

4 Leave a comment on verse 4 0 After all you never thought would happen:
a narrow win at Caerphilly Castle,
Briton Ferry for the soul’s dark night:
crucial stops at critical times.

5 Leave a comment on verse 5 0 After everything that wasn’t good enough:
the diet they said you over-carbed
with extra beer though you hadn’t won.
But now the final’s here and what do we find?
Crucial stops at critical times.

6 Leave a comment on verse 6 0 After all that happened in lockdown:
the virus and its lingering insidious effects,
with all the Dunkin’ Donuts trainers said
would dull your edge, but now you’re one ahead –
with an engraving primed –
making crucial stops at critical times.

Notes

From a goalkeeper’s perspective in the Welsh Women’s Premier League.
Sometimes despite all the things that have gone wrong over the years, the good in your training and experience is not undermined and you can still deliver when the moment comes! The phrase ‘crucial stops at critical times’ was used on the BBC commentary to describe USA goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher’s contribution to the Olympic final.

Source: http://footballpoets.org/poems/crucial-stops-at-critical-times/