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
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2 comments:
They say terrorism is way down because all over the world everyone is watching the World Cup.
Now there's a game that can bring the world together!
ilam glad to know this Kirby. We must try to get other sports to play this role as well so that year round we will have permanent and life-saving distraction. Am curious to know more about you and your poetry. Olson is a fabled surname in my United States.
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