Wednesday 13 February 2013

wide receiver

(1)
straight
from the whistle                                          
i played wide receiver
to sacrificial
passes.

i turned to run
catching
nurture;
i tripped but
ran again
to catch
a country's
heritage.

(2) 
nature
knocked me
down,
but i donned
my gloves,
got up
and ran
to catch
education,
freedom,
faith,
family,
health,
healing,
home,
sense,
sensuality,
spirit...

(3)
at half-time
i recognised and
began to revere
sacrificial
team-mates:
you who blocked,
and block
for me daily
at the line of scrimmage;
you quarterbacks
who fired me darts
of hope
to connect with.

(4)
in the final quarter,
the endzone waits
for all;

tactics, in time, change

and so i begin to
play the passing game
for my own
wide receivers.

with sacrifice and
grace,
let me pass the
ball
of all I am
to you.



Posted for Poetry Jam: Sacrifices.
(With reference to any American Football fans, I'm a complete novice and if I've mistaken any aspect of the sport I profoundly apologise!)

14 comments:

  1. Excellent!! So much to think about here. I love the 'darts of hope' and the passing of the ball 'of all I am to you.' You put a wonderfully positive slant on sacrifice. Hats off to you!

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  2. A wonderful metaphor with the football game... and team sports do require sacrifice.

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  3. nice...its a team sport this life...we are in it together...sometimes we sacrifice our body to block for another...and other times its us they are doing it for...

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  4. I'll play on your team any time.

    Another nice work ND.

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  5. A great relation of life to football. A poem I can share with my kids that they might listen to- thanks!

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  6. Beautifully written, clever and current! Touchdown!!!

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  7. ND as always, a well written and wonderful write--I love how you wove the sacrifice in and out (passing plays?)

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  8. I love how you wove realities of life into the process of the game. I'm not too familiar with the game of football, but I know the game of life and you describe it well here.

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  9. I tried to comment but something got weird here with the posting of it. I do like the metaphor in your poem! Never thought of those helper players as sacrificing before but I see what you mean.

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  10. The final four lines are the clicher which you set up very well.

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  11. Very cool how you did this David. I like how you used this metaphor. Nice work!

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  12. ...great write and with the reference to such a difficult game... sometimes we need to sacrifice even our companions to achieve one common goal for the benefit of the whole... loved your take... smiles...

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  13. I enjoyed the extended metaphor here! So nicely done, Davie!!!

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  14. So powerful and I feel so honored for all in my life that have passed the ball. Thank you for this. Beautifully weaved.

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Thanks for leaving a comment. Have a great day :)

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