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Sunday League 1

1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 Acrid smell of liniment
From an overcrowded changing room.
Shouts of bravado,
Voices raised in welcome.

2 Leave a comment on verse 2 0 Knee brace fitted onto ageing body,
body rub applied;
Bows tightened
On mouldy, mud-spattered boots.

3 Leave a comment on verse 3 0 The run onto the exposed field,
Arms flailing, legs pumping.
Litter chasing across the pitted surface,
Leaves skittering across the pitch.

4 Leave a comment on verse 4 0 The warm-ups begin.
Hamstrings protesting painfully,
Every stretch an effort,
But worth it?

5 Leave a comment on verse 5 0 Sizing up the opposition:
Bunch of neanderthals
And overweight orangutans,
Chewing manically and screaming expletives.

6 Leave a comment on verse 6 0 The ref arrives, a mere boy,
Face writhing in acne.
Pristine black regalia
Covering his puny frame.

7 Leave a comment on verse 7 0 The toss up:
The two captains eye each other malevolently
As the coin spins
“Heads! Stay as we are.”

8 Leave a comment on verse 8 0 Final tactical teamtalk,
Confirmation of positions.
Seven changes from last week,
Introductions forgotten on the spot.

Notes

Poem written after 8 seasons of Sunday League football in Cardiff, Swindon & Chippenham. Sunday League 2 – the game itself – to follow shortly!!

Source: http://footballpoets.org/poems/sunday-league-1/?shared=email&msg=fail