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Dancing the Polka

Peter Goulding

Thursday, April 29th, 2004

1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 From the shipyards of Gdansk, way down to Krakow in the south,
In lovely Lodz and Posnan and in Warsaw,
The news swept through the country, in the main through word of mouth,
Causing more delight than people foresaw.

2 Leave a comment on verse 2 0 At first they were suspicious and would not believe their ears,
Phoning up the FAI for clarity,
But then they were united in their loud, unbridled cheers,
‘Twas years since they had shown such solidarity.

3 Leave a comment on verse 3 0 They queued all night for tickets in the chilly eastern Spring,
Warmed by feverish anticipation.
Then they kissed their fiery spouses with a promise that they’d ring,
And gaily skipped down to the railway station.

4 Leave a comment on verse 4 0 From north and south and east and west, the trains disgorged their troops,
Past buildings old and grimy and decaying,
Advancing on the stadium in hopeful, nervous groups,
Praying that the Legend would be playing.

5 Leave a comment on verse 5 0 But when the whistle blew, the fans were very much uptight,
Their hero wasn’t in the starting line-up.
They kept glancing at the fourth official all throughout the night,
Willing him to put the bleeding sign up.

6 Leave a comment on verse 6 0 Injury time approaching, and the flags were all unfurled,
Augmented by a symphony of voices,
As the Polish commentator shouted to the outside world,
“Listen how our happy state rejoices!”

7 Leave a comment on verse 7 0 Four minutes to display his skills was all he was allowed,
Four minutes to enthrall the Polish masses,
But tears of joy were streaming from the people in the crowd,
Which buggered everybody wearing glasses.

8 Leave a comment on verse 8 0 And then the match was over, and the crowd was on a high –
Such an understandable reaction –
And they travelled home in trainloads ‘neath the brooding Polish sky,
Thrilled at seeing Jason Byrne in action.

© Peter Goulding 29th April 2004

Notes

Poland 0 Ireland 0 – Jayo brought on for 4 minutes injury time, in what is seen by many as a tokenist gesture by Kerr.

Source: http://footballpoets.org/poems/dancing-the-polka/