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Mutual Encouragement Society

Peter Goulding

Sunday, June 12th, 2005

1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 My daughter, doing the Leaving Cert,
Is under some duress.
Her tonsils have begun to hurt,
She’s showing signs of stress.
She wakes up sweating in the night,
With throbbing, aching joints,
Afraid, afraid, perhaps she might
Not gain sufficient points.

2 Leave a comment on verse 2 0 I play the wise old father’s role
And give her reassurance.
I praise her stoic self-control,
Her calm, assured endurance.
I dry her eyes and soothe her grief,
And counsel calm behaviour,
And emphasise that self-belief
Will prove to be her saviour.

3 Leave a comment on verse 3 0 Shels have hit a mighty slump
And I have gone to pieces.
I’ve got a large pain in my rump
Which hardly ever ceases.
I wake up panting in the night
With throbbing, aching joints,
Afraid, afraid, that Shelbourne might
Not gain sufficient points.

4 Leave a comment on verse 4 0 My daughter tries to cheer me up
When things turn black completely,
When Derry knocked us out the Cup
Or Cork despatched us neatly.
She dries my eyes and soothes my grief
And tries to reassure me,
And says that Mister Self-belief
Might be the man to cure me.

© Peter Goulding 12th June 2005

Notes

The Leaving Cert is the Irish equivalent of A levels. 7 subjects are done – your grades convert to points, and the number of points accrued determine the course in university you are qualified for.
Shels in freefall at the moment, knocked out of the Cup 2-0 by Derry at home.

Source: http://footballpoets.org/poems/mutual-encouragement-society/