28 April 2015

Tuesday Poem: Blame the victim, or how to flip over a sledge (a found poem), by John Howell


We were uncomfortable
they were nice to us in NZ
they were nice to us the whole week
and we were uncomfortable

we were uncomfortable
they were nice to us
I can’t stand this anymore
I’m not playing cricket like this

I said at the team meeting
we’re going at them as hard as we can
I can’t stand this anymore
we were uncomfortable

In the final if we get a crack at them
I’m letting everything out
they were nice to us that whole week
You know what?  They deserved it.

words from Brad Haddin, Australian wicketkeeper
Dom Post, 2 April 2015

Credit note and poet bio: This poem is new and unpublished and is reproduced by permission of the author, John Howell.

John Howell lives in Ngaio, Wellington. Recently he retired from ministering at the Union Parish in Taupo. He has published two books of prayers. He has degrees in science, arts, theology, a diploma in Business Studies.

Tim says: The Cricket World Cup 2015 may have finished a few weeks ago now, and Australia were rightfully the favourites, but that final still burns!

The Tuesday Poem: This week, it's In Carbondale by Cliff Fell, selected by Harvey Molloy: both poem and discussion are well worth reading.

2 comments:

Penelope said...

Excellent poem, very clever and funny.

I never thought of sledging and a sledge as related concepts. Perhaps one needs more snow for that association to occur.


Helen Lowe said...

Very apposite.