|

Different Class

non humphries

Friday, May 1st, 2009

1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 Watch the black girl.
What damn stupid advice
as my centre-back walks away.

2 Leave a comment on verse 2 0 How could I not watch her
fly down each wing, disturbing
not a blade of grass yet destroying
our defense. Running, dancing,
through our players, making
ghosts of them, insipid against
the shinning star.

3 Leave a comment on verse 3 0 Powerful. But never a hint of a foul.
I dive at her feet in a desperate bid,
somehow get the ball and brace
myself for an impact that never comes.
She’s jumped me, pulled out at the last
second, I feel a hand on my
shoulder ‘good save.’ And she’s gone
again, to mastermind our
downfall.

4 Leave a comment on verse 4 0 1-0 down at half-time. She, the
architect of the sweet free-kick that
I could only stand and admire. The
rumors fly around, that she’s averaging
7 goals a game. I glance over –
all that running and she hasn’t broken a
sweat. Face the picture of composure.
Different class.

5 Leave a comment on verse 5 0 Second half. Watch the black
girl indeed! Can’t do anything
more than watch, watch the
sniper’s shot. Who can out run
a cheetah? Only 2-0.
God only knows how.

6 Leave a comment on verse 6 0 The whistle blows to save us
from the glare of her brilliance. I shake her
hand, she smiles broadly.
‘You had a great game’ she says.

7 Leave a comment on verse 7 0 Me?

8 Leave a comment on verse 8 0 Ww share a couple of minutes,
she sees in me, a fraction
of what I see in her. ‘See you
a week Sunday.’

9 Leave a comment on verse 9 0 Back in the home dressing room
my team-mates pounce.
‘Does she really average 7 goals a game?’

10 Leave a comment on verse 10 0 I laugh knowingly and shake my head, to
sighs of relief.

11 Leave a comment on verse 11 0 ‘It’s nine’

Notes

Ever played against a player who was in a class above everyone else on the pitch? This winger I played against yesterday was running the entire game so effortlessly it was unbelievable.

Source: http://footballpoets.org/poems/different-class-2/