andrew'spoems

Slow Motion

And we were there,
with the high sea gull,
pigeons encroaching,
crafty numbers crawling
across the page,

you recording 

dabs,  nicks,                                       stumbling, straggling
batsmen                                scratching, scrunching, truggling,
edged                                          traggled, cratched, crewn

 (memories, atmosphere, anticipation)

while bats (de) fended,   fenced,   forced,   flashed,

And we wondered :-
how did the bad-light-stopped-rain know about tea?
what were the chances of that six catching us unawares,
as we dreamt of possibilities?
why ---?
when ---?

And the cameras rolled (was that the heavy roller?)
watching us
watching young boys
scrambling for signs,
eager to emulate ...

wickets -----
concentric realities

bowlers ran in on television
but refused to replay                                                 in slow motion
and umpires                                                 in slow slow motion.
preserved the game                              in such slow motion
as we were there                           in slow motion

And when could this have been?
which year? day? event? memory? evocation? hope?
all were present as time thundered past

in slow motion

And oval lords streaked past outlandishly,
a blur of traditions,
 blurred expectations,
blurring records,
blurnt statistics,