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Take the train

1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 Sitting in slow moving traffic
Quietly seething
Hard to believe, as I inch forward
That I’m still breathing
We creep, at snail’s pace
Not surrounded by comfy home
But instead, a cramped space
And an uncharged mobile phone
So, my normal 90 minute journey
(not a patch, on the fun of a match)
Has doubled in length
But lord, give me strength
For there’s not half as much enjoyment
As I do battle, in the commute to employment
And there’s an edginess, to our shuffling
My cold car spluttering, me muttering, and my nose snuffling

2 Leave a comment on verse 2 0 Should’ve taken the train
This jam, gelled together by overnight rain
And sure, what else would it do in Ireland
“Soft day, thank God” / “It’ll be grand”
There’s no anticipation
Of precipitation
It’s just expected
And once detected
Dismissed
As mist
On a dull day
Just another excuse, to send you on your way
With an Irish blessing
It’s real meaning, leaving you guessing
And messing
With your mind
As you return to the daily grind

3 Leave a comment on verse 3 0 Fortunately, the radio plays
Through the traffic delays
And the jocks, give their views
On the various items of sports news
Graham Taylor, is under pressure, his job on the line
Too ready with excuses, his defensive whine
Exposes his limitations : the recriminations
Of Villa’s 1-0 home defeat to the Saints
Leads to the supporters boos and many complaints
And a brazen analyst, suggests a tryst
Which sees Mick McCarthy installed
At Villa Park, and the Irish fans enthralled
In the shenanigans, to appoint his replacement
From the managerial bargain basement
And following on, from someone, who’s stock is on the wane
To the excited buzz, all about a certain young master Rooney
Without taking the mickey, he’s clearly no looney
His wondrous weekend strike, thundering past England’s number one
With feats like that, he’s sure to reach a ton
Of Premiership goals
As he so easily bowls
Seasoned defenders over
And turns Toffees into clover

4 Leave a comment on verse 4 0 At journey’s end, got out of the car, as stiff as a poker
The last thing I needed, was to meet the office joker
One of those cheesy, breezy types
‘Half day?’, he snipes
Oh how I’d like to make him pay, for my misery
Work suffered of course, started off all dithery
But soon got better
As I handed in my resignation letter
After a little subterfuge and stealth
A new job in the offing, more advantageous to my health
Then, I’ll let the rolling stock, take the strain
Better for my sanity, that much is plain
However, as much as my journey was dogged
I later heard, the trains were cancelled, track waterlogged
A consequence, of these stormy days
And to coin a phrase,
From someone, who’s season is falling flat –
Do I not like that!

Notes

Another one of those ‘Day in the life of …’ a sad old geezer!

References to Wayne Rooney, who scored the winning goal for Everton v Arsenal, 2-1, when Arsenal lost their 30 match unbeaten record (20/10/2002).
And Wayne became the youngest Premiership goalscorer ever, at sixteen years of age (5 days short of his 17th birthday).

One of my favourite lines from Spike Milligan’s book, ‘The Looney’ :
“What is rain after all, but a dry day with water?”

And my favourite (doing-the-rounds) e-mail of the week :

Merseyside police have named a local youth wanted for questioning in
connection with an incident on Saturday afternoon in which a shot was
fired at a pensioner.

The elderly man, from North London, and described as “extremely frail and immobile”,
is said to have been left severely traumatised by the ordeal,
and Police warn that his attacker may strike again.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Wayne Rooney, 16,
should contact Merseyside Police immediately.

Postscript :
Mick McCarthy resigned as Ireland manager, 5.11.2002
Brendan Menton, resigned as General Secretary of the FAI, 12.11.2002

You heard it here first :
Clik the mouse to apply for the vacant Ireland manager’s job!

Source: http://footballpoets.org/poems/take-the-train/