A bright afternoon lunch, a darker shadow wraps around
your leg. Not clawing, just yawning. Yearning for a twitch
in its way.
You sit terribly still.
Your mother urges you to shoo it off, your father chews
absentmindedly at the way too bloodied meat, gazing through
your forehead. The clinks of the neighboring tables annoyingly
in sync. Your foot turns to face it.
The waiter gets your sister's order wrong, she curls up to a ball
as so does her stomach as she pipes down the vanilla milkshake,
an excuse to leave to the bathroom. To leave here.
The edge of your eyes catches the figure 8 being woven
along your cramping shins.
The heavy grimace of your brother, your mother fixing up
his collar, clearly not ironed. The setting bores you,
you look under. Beady eyes staring at you too. A plea
for what you should do.
The sinful act of feeding a noir stray cat.
With the steady grip of a football player, a knowing smirk
a bright eye glint, you hold it close,
the pitch-dark abomination–
and toss it onto the table.
An approving purr.
A feast for all.
Running back
Do running back do?
Ha! I Caught ball
Come O’ Kansas, come can’t wait
To catch me yet
Ball caught, clutch against my chest
I run the ball a brisk running back receive,
Handoffs from run the ball.
Catch passes Kansas (catch me) if you can
I runnin to ya… running back
2/5/25
Written words by James Edward Lee Sr. 2025©
Dedicated verse to Calvin D. Jones
former Nebraska Football player
Super Bowl Champion for Green Bay Packers
Omaha Beef Football player
If you like Keanu, you’ll love The Replacements
‘bout an ex-football player who's into effacement.
Called back to the big time when A-listers strike,
it’s got some great scenes that I know you will like.
I won’t spoil the story, but the cheerleading’s hot;
QB Falco’s the real deal, and Martel is not.
Wiry Nigel the kicker will have you enthralled,
as will Bateman when coach says, “Go get me the ball!
There isn’t much action if you hoped for a gun,
just some hard-hitting football and 2 hours of fun.
----------
H/T to Terry Flood's Movie Night
A football player named Zay
Made an exceptional play.
The ref called it flaunting,
But I thought it quite daunting.
Can't a guy celebrate a great day?
Ronaldo, messi are nice
but Pele had no price
always made more than one goal
with him in field no zero for sure
the greatest lumberjack
Rufus the Lumberjack
the greatest hunter
Jo Lion Guinea Pig
THE BIGGEST FISHERMAN
Mr of the hooks
THE GREATEST VOCALIST
Paulinho Mouth of Singer
THE LUCKIEST
Gaston Luck
THE POOREST
João Nobody nowhere man!
THE BIGGEST "CORN"
Golden Horn Morgado
THE MOST SENSITIVE
Hyacinth Pleasures
THE MOST POPULAR
Jo Pop love
THE BIGGEST BUILDER
John Clay
THE GREATEST CARPENTER
woodpecker
THE BIGGEST GRAVE DIVINE
Anonymous Grave
THE GREATEST GARDENER
Daisy Flowers
THE BIGGEST GREEN
Zé of Cabbages....
THE GREATEST OF THE RICH
UNCLE PATINHAS...
THE GREATEST AMONG THOSE WHO CRY
It's not a mourner,
is the singer Choráo...
FOOTBALL'S GREATEST SUPER HERO
Atletico MG football player,Hulk...!
THE GREATEST ACCOUNTANT ECONOMIST
OF FINANCIAL FLAWS
THE BIGGEST SELLER IN MOURNING
ZÉ DO CAIXÄO - John Coffin
THE BIGGEST ATHLETE
Athlete's foot
BIGGEST POET OF ALL
Anyone from Poetry Soup... !
Dear football although the thrill of you brings me joy
I find it a struggle to be a normal boy
The repeated hits to the head have left me struggling to think
Even looking at the slightest sliver of light causes me to double blink
Sitting in class lost in my mind
wondering if football was even worth my time
Losing focus at nearly every word
Saying "huh" because your voice was not heard
Although I'm very proud to be a football player
I certainly wish the game was a bit safer
*Image of John Madden by Oakland News Now.
John Madden RIP
As an offensive linesman forms profession,
Complimenting Raiders pro football coach,
Relating coaching and playing no question,
At every game, there's a diverse approach,
After his heyday years on the field, to cam,
A front-page kinda guy, sporting the news,
His behind the cam persona clearly amuse,
Hectic tit-for-tat lifelike catchphrases bam,
Commercials, sportscasting purged midlife,
I personally knew him in his career highlife,
He knows the playbook, immortalized rock,
'Twas a subject of intrigue, animated stock,
Ere Constitution, the Word in his interviews,
It's nineteen seventy-seven Raiders streak,
Twelve consecutive victories Super Bowler,
Oakland Airport Hilton, the Raiders quarter,
As Hospitality Aficionado I smile and greet,
But now, twelve-year his calling as a coach,
Making Raiders fans proud, as all encroach,
We pay homage to the man giant than men,
A football player, coach, TV persona, friend.
2022 January 23
I took a career assessment test when I was twelve.
I apparently have more in common with race car drivers
than any other people who have careers and like them
That’s not going to work! My counselor said.
You are a female. Females are not race car drivers.
I instantly despised him for this.
My second match was football player.
Also not working in 1964.
Let’s look at your third choice, he said.
The third choice was President of the United States.
What is wrong with you? He asked me.
What is wrong with you? I wondered.
In the youthful years enamored to the essence
for the unsupressible passion for playing football,
I spent the quality time in the playground
every awaited evening till the sundown.
Having set my aspiring goal to become
a professional football player of national repute,
I practiced hard year after year,
but my destiny rolled a different dice.
In one game carelessly I broke my leg,
an injury from which I could never recover
to return to the playground as an avid player,
that’s how my sporting dream broke forever.
On the tract of time I played instead
the relentless games of life as ordained.
Some I won, but many I lost
in the playground of shifting goalpost.
June 21, 2021
Contest : Playground
Sponsor : Shreya LN
I will become a conqueror when I grow up the young girl said.
With her lovely freckled face, fresh emerald eyes, and hair of red.
Or a race car driver
Or a scuba diver
Maybe even a professional football player or a flower bed.
FICTIONAL POEM FOR CONTEST
I sailed through my pregnancy without a problem
We’d painted the nursery in pale blue
I was having
A little boy
I'd stroke my swollen belly every time he kicked
we joked he'd be a great football player
tragically he’d never kick a ball
no one knows why he stopped moving on my due date
The doctors could not save my child
Why was my baby born sleeping?
My precious son
You never cried
F I C T I O N P O E M W R I T T E N F O R
n/a in Fragmented Verse Poetry Contest
(n/a because the line spacing was incorrect for the form - now amended)
02/15/21
Maradona, great football player, was an inspiration to many
He gave an exemplary example of perfection in action
How concentration can achieve milestones
How short height doesn't matter
How it can, in fact, be used to your benefit
But he also taught the world not just talent,
good moral values and habits are important for lasting success
They give a life of peace and happiness
It is essential to develop talents in children
but they should also be made mentally strong
to handle all aspects of life
be it success or failure
Parents should ensure kids have no bad habits that can bring ruin.
We can we learn from lives of great people
Many set an example of what should be done
and what should not be done.
Date: 12/19/2020
Inspiration: Maradona obituary contest by Mohan Chutani
the naughty rascal of Naples has died
he was the greatest football player in history
a timeless icon
and although he was a flawed human
he is venerated like a demigod
people took to the streets to mourn his passing
weeping and throwing kisses at his 20 foot mural
a piece of Naples has died forever they shout
Naples is crying we lost our angel
grown men on their knees
Diego was born into poverty
but the gift of a football at age three
changed his destiny
and although his estate is huge
he died cash poor
for he was generous and easily tricked
his journey was complicated with
cocaine and drinking addiction
mafia connections
known for violent outbursts
yet with a stature godlike
thousand mourn
as he is laid to rest
_____________________________
November 29, 2020
Poetry/Free Verse/Diego Armando Maradona
Copyright Protected, ID 11-1308-287-29
All Rights Reserved, 2020, Constance La France
Written for the Standard contest, Maradona Obituary
sponsor, Mohan Chutani, Judged 12/26/20
First Place
The paths of bricks and stones surround my city life
Cold of winter could not touch me still on the Cheragi Hill
No smoldering or bonfire I need here to warm my skin
Less time I watch TV program, not fond of the world soccer
Last night I passed my time listening the great Nusrat Fateh Ali khan
This morning my sight is captivated by- “No more the football legend”
Golden days were in the evergreen leaf of football history
Magical legs ran on the green mid field for the FIFA cup
World cup of 1986 knew best this 10th number jersey magician
Astonished all were in his outstanding playing performance
One of the ever-greatest crown players of the world he was
Now staying rest in peace cause of the blocked coronary arteries
O God, let him live in Your merciful garden,
Let his eternal soul be the sign of Your peace
-26.11.2020 Chattogram
***Note***
Tribute to Diego Armando Maradona (October 30, 1960-November 25, 2020) was an Argentine professional football player and manager. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, he was one of the two joint winners of the FIFA Player of the 20th Century award.
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