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The ballad of Beckham’s toe

Brenda M. Read-Brown

Friday, April 19th, 2002

1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 A player such as this David Beckham,
Whose kick is more like a caress,
Can be forgiven his haircuts, his voice;
And even for wearing a dress.

2 Leave a comment on verse 2 0 For he has a talent for football
Which shows us how skill can be art,
And that work-rate alone counts for nothing
Unless matched by a passionate heart.

3 Leave a comment on verse 3 0 And Beckham is truly a hero,
Celebrated in prose and in rhyme,
And his toe is indeed (sorry!) a leg-end,
Not just of his, but of England’s, lifetime.

4 Leave a comment on verse 4 0 And so half the nation’s in mourning
(Though the rest of us don’t give a toss).
Will he or won’t he recover?
One small fracture seems such a great loss.

5 Leave a comment on verse 5 0 But we are all bound by biology,
Which is what all this fuss seems to show;
For what use is digital technology
If it can’t even mend one small toe?

6 Leave a comment on verse 6 0 And chance is all part and parcel
Of this physical, mysterious game,
Why mind so much about one metatarsal?
The World Cup will go on, just the same.

© brenda M. Read-brown 2002

Notes

I just wanted to say that, despite what seems a tragedy, the game is more important than one player; and if there was no chance involved, wouldn’t it all be dull?

Source: http://footballpoets.org/poems/the-ballad-of-beckhams-toe/