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Poetry Showcase [Other] Moderators for this section: Weaver, ochsterboxter, CadenzRime, Lingua Pura, ososment, carolynrn, Inker

Eleven Hearts And A Lot Of Soul.

Outline: This one is actually about a game of football... Dates from 16th June 2002 if there are any Republic Of Ireland fans out there ?
Why: fun
Review: any
ELEVEN HEARTS AND A LOT OF SOUL.



My eyes welled up
real tears were there
to shed them maybe
seemed unfair
but fall they did
and proudly too
showered on those eleven hearts of Ireland

For two whole hours
you showed your grit
determination
stick with it
back in the game
that heart and spirit
from within the soul of Ireland

Which players played
with all their heart
and whoever'd won
they played their part
if World Cup football
had a heart
then it must belong to Ireland

Eleven players
on that field
who showed the world
they would not yield
but fate's unkind
when signed and sealed
to destroy the hopes and dreams of Ireland

Defeated by penalty's
cruellest fate
They surely deserved
much more than that
Should football be deemed
to have heart or soul
(Take an Englishman's word)
they proudly reside in Ireland.
Author Explanation: This 'thing' has reduced grown men (and a couple of Landladies) to tears in some of the pubs that I've performed at. I dunno... It was a game of football of two sides who put everything they had into it and penalties are a rotten way to go out of an important game... but The Irish team just... Dunno... Words fail me. It's all in the poem.
Carson [<18]
[Sun Mar 09, 2008 8:53 pm]
Yo Chris,

I remember watching this one actually. I think Fernando Hierro scored the winning penalty for the Spaniards? Although I'm not usually a fan of the Republic/am rarely interested enoughta watch their games - I did feel for them in this one. Well expressed in the poem too.

Quote:
Should football be deemed
to have heart or soul
(Take an Englishman's word)
they proudly reside in Ireland.
Ahem. I hope you include us in this bracket

Northern Ireland 1 - 0 England
Northern Ireland 3 - 2 Spain (Yes, WE beat the spanish, lol)
Northern Ireland 2 - 1 Sweden
Northern Ireland 2 - 1 Denmark

I was at all those games and I'm still living off the glory lol, particularly the English game. A masterclass.

Laughing Enjoyed the read.

Tim
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"I'm so much older than I can take"

All these things that I've done - The Killers
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BrianRobertNeal
[Mon Mar 10, 2008 11:57 am] Watto Chris
To the 11, i'd add the 5 subs, the others "on the bench" and the crowd.

Sharing your love of Soccer I enjoyed this poem,

Brian.


The reviewer would appreciate your comments on: TRIPTYCH
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newvoice
[Mon Mar 10, 2008 10:25 pm]
i liked this. its apt as i've just spent all weekend glorying in the triumph of the underdogs against the premiership catwalk lot.

can i suggest something though. I'm probably wrong but I think a couple of the line lengths could do with adjustment.

would it not read better:

but fall they did
and proudly too
for those eleven hearts of Ireland


and the other one:

but fate's unkind
when signed and sealed
to destroy the dreams of Ireland



Just my thoughts, hope its ok.

A really enjoyable poem on a subject which is easy cliche-fy.
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Chris Ripple
[Tue Mar 18, 2008 5:13 pm]
N.V. You are probably right but I'm keeping 'showered' 'cos they did. I've never had tears at the end of a football match before but this one for some reason (possibly sportsmanship as opposed to gamesmanship) brought 'em forth in spades...
I'll see to the other.

Bri'. Yeah, everybody responsible deserves credit but only those 'on display' have the ability to affect emotion, so...

Tim. I accept totally what you say re the N.I. team's achievements. First rate set of results by anyone's standards but I didn't see the games. I remember having a night 'off' from gigs/music and the rest with my sixpack of lagers and I veg'd in front of the tele' for any game of football they cared to put on and this was it.
It was, in my opinion, not so much a game of football but a lesson in sportsmanship by the Republic's team which, sad to say, has never been bettered by any team I've seen since. The difference between sportsmanship and petulance is shown best by the fact that our star forwards Rooney, Beckham and Gascoigne have or had all been sent off for stupid petulance (or kicking the opposition which is the other way of looking at it) and this particular game had none of it. It was the sportsmanship that impressed even tho' they don't give out medals for it. Maybe they should ?

I don't claim to know anything about football but I know what's good and this match was GOOD.
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'He was born with a gift of laughter... And a sense that the world was mad'

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