Lectura en Medellin, el 13 de Julio, con Bob Holman

Este martes presentare mis poemas sobre el Mundial en el Centro Cultural Colombo Americano junto con mi amigo y colega Bob Holman. La direccion en Medellin es Carrera 45 # 53-24, La cita es a las 18.30 y forma parte del Festival Internacional de Poesia de Medellin.

Morning: Before the Semi-Finals

Morning: Before the Semi-finals

Waves rise and fall near the footpath by the sea
on a misty grey Lima morning in our dreams
as we build scenarios. Now what if Suarez were
allowed to return for the final, can Uruguay gobber
up the Mechanical Orange during its semi-final
with some defensive glue, clamp down all movement
then pounce on a breakout, a counter attack?

Can it keep its legs fresh for 90 minutes, but Holland
will have other ideas and which team is younger, fitter?
I don't have all the necessary info. to move to judgment.
Must turn to the sea birds, the para-gliders, perhaps
some living survivor of the last Peruvian side to play
in the World Cup, a local expert--I wonder how I would
manage if my walk took me by Galle Face or along

that extremely long beach in Chennai. The Indian
subcontinent has never competed in a World Cup
although India could have travelled to Rio in 1950,
gaining a place by default, but it demurred claiming
that playing with bare feet would not be allowed,
a lie exposed quickly, but base politics can infect
any federation--and there are solid reasons

for subcontinental absence: temperament, pace of life,
what cricket has taught us although even that great
master of fair play and honour has speeded up proceedings,
but let me not be distracted by parochial debates among
sports about which will better equip us for the trials of life
like the upcoming battle between good luck, cheating,
skill and heroism in the semi finals of the World Cup.


Indran Amirthanayagam, July 4, 2010

Intervention, Quarter Finals

Intervention, Quarter Finals


Hand of God, hand of Luis
Suarez, hand of fate, destiny,
desperation, immorality, hand
that gave Uruguay one more

roll in the last minute
of the last extra time, hands
and feet, the idea of keeping
hands away in foot not hand

ball, in the moment of defeat
what rules apply? Hero or
villain, Ghana’s Gyan hitting
the cross bar on the penalty,

bitter pill, even in foot the ball
does not drop, even in foot
a Brazilian turns to frozen jelly
while the Dutchman flies; order

of bets turns upside down, or
is Brazil just another beautiful
play become four act tragedy,
specialists of the quarter final

exit, or am I just fussing about
football when gross
international production
dips during World Cup games

except in broadcast, soft drinks,
tee shirts, vuvuzelas, plane
tickets and all sorts
of paraphernalia, including

pictures of players’
significant others? This
is business for some and
yet in Cape Coast, in Accra,

what are gentlemen saying
in high life bars? If we
had the chance to stop
the wrecking ball with

our hands and save goal
and country we too like that
bad cat from Uruguay would
break Good Lord FIFA’s rules?

Indran Amirthanayagam, July 2, 2010