Football Poets

Jewish New Year

¶ 1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 Oh well, the beginning of
A New Year, the genesis
5786, for Jewish friends and families
So many civilisations
In the history of our lives
When Israel was but an
Apple in our eye
But now the first seeds are
Planted in the rebirth
Of our Jewish world
And then Ossie Ardilles was in
Football’s unenviable dug out
Manager of Beta Jerusalem
In 2005, barely a novice
As boss and governor
It could have been
Maccabi Haifa
But then he discovered
The apple and honey symbolism
Of tomorrow’s sweetest song
And pulled the strings
From the bench
Football was never
Israel’s cup of tea
But, given half the chance
Of course they can play
The Beautiful Game,
Tomorrow we will seek
Repentance and forgiveness
Free from sin
And we will think
Of Yossi Benayoun
Hammer and Gooner
In their blood and dreams
The desperately tragic
Late but much loved
Avi Cohen
The Liverpool’s Kop
Poster boy
Then there was Ronnie Rosenthal
Another adored at Anfield
Idolised but then
Cruelly exposed
At Villa Park
When with the goal begging
He crashed the bar
Sadly but truthfully
And so we settle down
Tomorrow for prayer and worship
At global synagogues
Your minds briefly glancing
On thoughts of the
London Stadium
West Ham, but of course
What a mess and melancholy
Hardly worthy of any consideration
On these holiest of days
Who cares about the morbid
Spectre of relegation
Since this is a stuck needle
On a timeless vinyl record
And yet for those of a
Spurs and Arsenal persuasion
The Jewish community
Enjoy the historic rapport
With the past
And still do
North Londoners one and all
But for those
Lovely Jewish people
A happy and healthy New Year

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