On Monday morning as I woke up, hungover, and I started writing a poem about Sunday. Half-way through I realised I wasn't hungover. I was still drunk. But it is the first poem I've written since school so I thought I'd share it. Be warned – it is not Yeats!
When Time Stood Still
The clock keeps ticking away in a game we must win
But time is speeding up, running out, wearing thin
A draw isn’t enough because Leicester have scored
So we win or go down thanks to this fucking board
Best fans in the world – We march and we sweat
But it’s not us playing football.
Existential threat.
The ball goes to Doucouré on the edge of the box
And he shapes up to hit it…but then time, it just stops.
As we leap from our seats and we freeze in mid-scream
Goodison’s history looks back at me just like a dream
There is Dixie and Latchford and Little Alan Ball
The Golden Vision and Hickson, Sheedy and Southall
And they’re all just right there and they are all in their prime
And I see them whilst stuck in this moment in time
And it’s Bayern, it’s beating United 5-0
It’s Rooney v Arsenal or better still
It’s Dunc’s towering header to kill off the shite
It’s Wimbledon, Coventry or Palace that night
And it’s not just the past that is out on the pitch
The future is there too, because time is on a glitch
And legends-to-come are watching right then
(Because make no mistake we'll be champions again)
But it all boils down to us getting this goal
Going down will just see us spiral out of control
And through tears that are stuck mid-way through their flow
Kendall walks up to Doucs, and he walks real slow
He put his arm around him and smiles with intent
“Son, the Park End will suck this right into the net”
And then he nods at the gods and then time starts again
Abdoulaye hits it sweetly and the ball rockets in
The Old Lady explodes with a deafening roar
Not heard since Dixie scored 60 in our world that’s L4
(Dream on, Erling, lad, it's more than you’ll ever score)
And time kept playing tricks, ten minutes added - no way
But Jordan says “nothing gets past me today”
And minutes become hours and we still keep the faith
The ref's whistle. 1-0. Finally we are safe.
And the feeling is a feeling no words can describe
As I am hugged by strangers and feel love for my tribe
And the night became later as we drank and we danced
Just out of relief for the Duke born in France
Later stumbling out of the Winslow, I looked up from my phone
And again time just stops - is that Brian Labone?
I raced over to hug him and tell him with glee
How much I need Everton just so I can be me
And I cry as I spoke of my fear and my dreads…
But he shushed me “We’re safe mate. And you’re worth 20 reds.”
Reader Comments (17)
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2 Posted 31/05/2023 at 12:02:04
You should drink and write more.
Terrific.
3 Posted 31/05/2023 at 12:28:17
4 Posted 31/05/2023 at 12:32:58
5 Posted 31/05/2023 at 12:33:23
6 Posted 31/05/2023 at 12:36:11
Another happy day to recall but for all the wrong reasons!!
7 Posted 31/05/2023 at 12:57:08
What you meant is stay off the ale and never write again!!!!
Got to admit, though, some of the rhymes are...well, magnificent in their own way.
Well done, Steve, brightened my day.
8 Posted 31/05/2023 at 13:06:58
9 Posted 31/05/2023 at 13:15:12
10 Posted 31/05/2023 at 14:46:35
He inspired me, that's Shelley not Frankensteinâ€, to start writing poems myself and I've sent loads off to various publishers without success although there was a ripple of interest in one of my poems. “ There was a young man from Calcuttaâ€, all of them said it was too short, it was only five lines, I thought it was a bit of a master piece myself!!
11 Posted 31/05/2023 at 16:45:02
12 Posted 31/05/2023 at 18:20:11
13 Posted 31/05/2023 at 20:23:46
14 Posted 01/06/2023 at 23:38:25
Just looked up a Yeats poem. Read it. Not one goosebump.
Steve Hili 1 v 0 Yeats
It's brilliant.
15 Posted 03/06/2023 at 07:54:06
16 Posted 03/06/2023 at 08:21:58
I know we all keep saying it but imagine one day the support if we were good!
17 Posted 03/06/2023 at 08:45:13
I thought about Dixie's 60th at the Park End when we kicked off in the second half. A very different goal on Sunday but followed by the same deafening roar.
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1 Posted 31/05/2023 at 11:44:52