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In Year 16

John J O’Connor

Sunday, July 1st, 2018

1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 “ Can you imagine how nervous Lagos Aspas must feel?”
Cried the commentator
“It must be impossible to feel more nervous
If he misses they’re out.”

2 Leave a comment on verse 2 0 “Look how nervous those Argentinian fans are.”
Cried the commentator
“They have the fear and dread of defeat written all over their painted faces.
This fear is real.”

3 Leave a comment on verse 3 0 “Harrrrrry Kaaane, what an athlete.”
Cried the commentator. as the ball ricocheted off Kane’s foot.
“Has to be up there with the most heroic Englishmen of all time.”

4 Leave a comment on verse 4 0 “What a joyous place France must be tonight.”
Cried the commentator
“Then again it was always a joyous place.”

5 Leave a comment on verse 5 0 For hundreds of thousands of tortured souls
France, until their deaths, was always a nightmare
On this day one hundred and two years ago
Thousands of men were more heroic than Kane
And more nervous than Lagos Aspas of Spain
More fearful than some fan crying for the camera
Thinking his world has ended cos his team lost on pens

6 Leave a comment on verse 6 0 Not for them a commentator complimenting
their expert shot on the German nest
Or Var recording them beating the trap of the wire
or their dives to the ground
in that cauldron of sound.
”He rolled over like he was dead,”
Cried the commentator
If he’d been at the Somme he’d have been right.

Notes

Just occasionally it’s good to get things into perspective

Source: http://footballpoets.org/poems/in-year-16/