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Just For The Sake Of It

Gordon Farrel

Wednesday, August 26th, 2009

1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 He taught us – to learn slowly
He taught us – to pass
He taught us – to give to receive
He taught us – that scoring, was all in good time
He taught us – to sometimes, concede

2 Leave a comment on verse 2 0 Every move that he made we replayed in our dreams
The monochrome magic in yellow and green
His instinctively choreographed goalmouth scenes
To be staged in the park ‘til dark had snuffed out
The teams of lads who would pick and be picked

3 Leave a comment on verse 3 0 We learned – to caress the ball a’Brasilia
We learned – that to play was a passion
We learned – to lose, with a smile on our faces
We learned – that style was the fashion
We learned – to move, with the ball and without
We learned – to win with compassion

4 Leave a comment on verse 4 0 His football was artful and just for the sake of it
Artisan crafted with none of the fake in it
No word of money no agent held sway
No protestations no walking away
No surrounding the Ref in a throng.
And his opponents’ mantra before every game
Chanted to ward off the spell of his name
“He’s made of skin and bones just like everyone else”
Was wrong. He was made of Pele

© Gordon Farrel 2009

Notes

This is a poem about a man (Pele) and a time. The man inspired so many of us at a time when we simply loved the game and the way that it was played; when we knew very little about a footballer’s life away from the pitch, and cared only for getting to the park to play and relive what we had seen or read about. The rythm of the poem tries to replicate his change of pace, sudden stops and turns.

Source: http://footballpoets.org/poems/just-for-the-sake-of-it/