black and white against the
rubber-crumbling field of turf,
daughters meet the fight--
they gallop, leap and turn,
twinkle, clump and spread again,
amoeba-like around a white and black
nucleus of ball
black and white, pink and brown,
against the empty, clanging stands,
chill October night--
we gather, leap and clap,
shiver, stretch and cheer again,
eggbox lights under a white on black
slice of moon
singular smell here, green and dying
singular sound here, still and shouting
and all that speedenergysweatspirit
like black and white
like day and night
a foreign cult to me
draft (c) HM 2016
It's our last season of varsity girls' soccer. I put on a good show (and I am truly amazed, truly supportive), but the whole enterprise remains fundamentally baffling to the inner me.
Enter the fray of Poetry Friday over at Violet Nesdoly's blog today--always a reason to cheer on Friday, and this week it's for Poetry Camp!
I had only one daughter play soccer and it was short lived. So short in fact that I don't remember it at all. But you have certainly captured the foreign feeling of the movement. How can they move like that!?
ReplyDeleteLove this, Heidi...as someone who grew up with soccer and still plays, who coaches his 6-year-old's team, and who has a 3-yr-old who LOVES it, I can completely identify with this. Great imagery and emotion here. And I have to say, I get a kick out of the girl in front, who's trying to look all tough and unbeatable with her shoelaces untied!
ReplyDeleteThat one's mine!
DeleteMy favorite sport! I have watched my kids play hundreds of games. Congrats to Daisy for making the varsity team. The photo goes with your poem so well. Very ready for the fight!
ReplyDeleteWhile my children were not soccer players, I do love the way you captured the girls on the field and the crowds in the stands. Great word, speedenergysweatspirit, that reminds me of a 5 year-old team that my husband coached. My daughter decided at that time that she no longer was interested in soccer because she did not like sweating. (LOL)
ReplyDeleteI had a short foray into soccer with my kids. My grands now play, but I still don't understand the rules of the game. Love how you captured the action here.
ReplyDeleteI've watched many a soccer game for my son, but my daughter chose the gymnastics route. The joy came when they grew "into" the game, and were so accomplished, just as you wrote, that "gallop, leap and turn". Your team looks tough, love the pic, and that now we know which one is yours! Love the title too, Heidi!
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of celebrating every day moments and experiences through poetry. Too often we think poetry must be dedicated to epic events and epic moments, but life is full of beautiful poetic moments.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you in the inner baffled department, Heidi. Maybe it's because I was always so un-athletic. But you've captured well that surreal experience of soccer practice under the lights.
ReplyDeleteLove this: eggbox lights under a white on black
ReplyDeleteslice of moon
I am not a sports enthusiast either. However, I have embraced the sports venue "experience"--the crowds, the noise, the sidelines, the hotdogs, etc.
Love that last stanza.
ReplyDeleteThat is my saturday afternoon, except I'm wondering if I should have brought my umbrella as the black clouds roll in... Great poem, especially the amoeba.
ReplyDeleteYour poem affected life?! Yes, you can share your lovely poem and its great "after story" with the world... Submit now on LifePoemsProject.com
ReplyDelete