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From Start To Finish

Charlie Wise

Tuesday, July 14th, 2009

1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 Hold my hand he used to say
As we walked to matches far away
We took a bus then a tram
To watch the football in Birmingham

2 Leave a comment on verse 2 0 The rosettes, the scarves, the bells
The programme bought that tells
About the stars and this and that
Gave us good reason to have a chat

3 Leave a comment on verse 3 0 The throbbing crowd, the right good cheer
The deafening sounds in a young boy’s ear
The joy and passion would never fade
This was indeed our sunny glade

4 Leave a comment on verse 4 0 We fell apart, went our different ways
But both could recall these happy days
When we came together near the end
To talk together as a friend

5 Leave a comment on verse 5 0 Hold my hand he used to say
So I held his hand as he slipped away

Notes

This poem was borne out of my fractious relationship with my father. He brought football into my life mainly through visits to St Andrew’s in the early and mid 1950’s. He gave me my lifelong passion for the game – as a player, coach and spectator.

My parents’ divorce led to our separation that lasted for many years but we came together seven weeks before his death – we shared a few memories, mostly about football where we both felt safe and shared common ground.

The poem was written five days after his death.

Source: http://footballpoets.org/poems/from-start-to-finish/