Football Poets

England beat Sweden.

¶ 1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 Hearts beating like
Pounding snare drums
Blood pressure soaring
Into the stratosphere
Nails bitten to the quick
England girls
Through to the
Euro 2025 semi finals
And the Azzurri await
Italy calling over the
Mediterranean turbulence
But oh how close England were
To the departure gates
Devoted England fans
Staring despairingly
Through England’s jittery nerves
England, this time the beneficiaries of
Yet another penalty shoot out
Scandinavia poised to send
England toppling and hurtling
Towards the exit point
Sweden, two up in no time
And suddenly it looked
So dark and ominous
For Sarina’s belles of the ball
The men were quivering behind
A thousand pizzas and pies
Back at home
Tubes of Doritos and
All manner of savoury snacks
Devoured nervously
Oh girls don’t let us down now
You’ve come so far
But then the country of
Flat pack furniture
Salty herring
And the legendary ABBA
Turn the tables on England
A yellow flash of lightning
Pierces and then punctures
Our romantic visions
Of yet more tantalising triumph
And then a clap of thunder
Over the picture postcard Alps
England strike back
Sweden, hitherto sailing and cruising
Towards the shimmering, rippling waters
Of the Euro 2025 semi final
Before alarming cracks in the brickwork
Of Swedish security
A Nordic meltdown
First Lucy Bronze
Discovers her Olympic medal
A goal from the Greek heroines
It was all so unbearably
Excruciating, edge of seat
Chinese water torture
But hold on we’re in
Familiar territory here
The men have done this to us
For ages
We should be conditioned to
These terrifying nights
Of drama, potential heartache
But the girls have
Been reading a different script
The ladies have the Midas touch
Minutes and seconds to go
Before England are given their P45
Sacked and fired in pretty Switzerland
But not out, not this time
Michelle Agyemang the ultimate saviour
Salvation is at hand
Fling out the ropes,
We’ve got you England
Pulled back onto the shore
Safe and sound
Agyemang equalises
Hope springs eternal
Cliches multiply
No more goals
Before penalties grip
The nervous system
The agony, then the ecstasy
It always come down to this
England quivering wrecks
Fans clamp fingers across eyelids
This emotional minefield
That has now become an English
Soap opera over and over again
Tension on the fevered brows
Of 70 million foreheads
Sweat dripping like a
Multitude of kitchen taps
Oh the never ending
Palpitations, please no more
And so England through to the
Last four
Of England 2025
Breathe slowly, deeply
You’re almost on the
Threshold of yet more
Euro winning celebrations
But then we knew they would
Italy, be prepared
For a battle royale
Ladies take a bow

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