Games Pursuit

The scribes of Heaven’s Game have dusted off
their prejudice to dip dry pens in lurid ink. We’ve
lived for months without a match, began to think
the weekends died a sorry death in sports reviews
which wasn’t news. We’d had our fill of cricketing’s
misdiagnosed shenanigans – blathering still rings in
empty heads. The game is dead, now please – go
to your wake with dignity for goodness sake!

Our teams are on the field of dreams, a game that’s
played at Heaven’s gate. Referees are dignitaries by
grace they earn or fate they face in hellish infamy;
it started well – just one to ban from social view or
chance to breed, he may improve but then he’d need
to relearn rules attentively ignored before. His losing
brief was inchoate and failed consistency –
which should not favour either team.

I’ve read reviews – so-called rugby news from
scribes whose brains are truly fried from covering
those other things which pass for sport these days.
I wonder if they’d regain wits by watching games to
see the poetry of skills sublime. Give them time –
reported news improves as writers take the journey
back to footy’s roots. The boots, the ball,
the whistle’s call – the game’s pursuit.
© 22 February 2008, I. D. Carswell