From “Voyage”

Odysseus on accordion.

Οδυσσέας στο ακορντεόν

Απάθεια
γύρω μας
στο βλέμμα
στην λέγειν

Που καθοδηγεί;

Red minivan,
barely stopping at stop sign;
“Where has the time gone?”
“How are the kids?”

Scene from a repeating movie 
(once a year, average),
where suburbs (and society) epitomize surreal achievement;

Sterile communication,
Hhman interaction,
staged

Reflecting on my years on the “Pitch” .. applying the “Laws of the Game” per FIFA, NCAA, Youth Soccer, and the Federation..


OFFSIDES

Fresh air, goalposts
Lines inviolate,
boundaries secured

Spherical games
adrenaline supreme
Twenty-two players,
diplomats off the field,
acrobats on

Chemistry of passion,
passion for the goal
Graceful maneuvers
passing back and forth

How beautiful a game
observing talent in motion,
where each player used his/her brain

Foul against opponent--
Hide behind the crowd,
measly-mouthed fan and parent

The language is plain
spoken universally,
Enforcing the rules
ever so difficult

Colleagues in uniform
black with white trim
Would-be public enforcers (?),
or those seeking the challenge, 
for love of the game

We converged on the field
partaking of the battle
with resolve and wisdom

Farewell, Nelson
you symbolized an era;
Now we have computers
stacking the deck

Twenty years reflected,
each time I pass a field
thousands of whistles blown,
still playing in my psyche

Youth, college, adult, embassy league soccer,
now strata of leadership


Thirty and over league,
now sedate
How time equalizes,
never too late


The mosaic of life
continuously enriched

April 4, 1997





© 1999 Odysseus Mikalis

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