Today’spoem

HELLUVA

It was a helluvan effort, That was one helluva try, A brilliant achievement Though lacking the ultimate prize. There’s no disgrace in drawing With the best in the world by far, But you could feel the disappointment — It was everything but the cigar. But there can be no extra time, No decider will be played, For it takes two to tango And the Lions have melted away. Gone into the ether Like dew in the afternoon, The curtain falls, the scene dissolves, It’s rugby’s Brigadoon. The band of happy truants Has been returned to school, Gone back to their day jobs, The abbots of misrule. But it’s more than just a stag do, They’re not on holiday, There’s a chance to make some history — That’s why they’ve come all this way. At their best there comes a time When they’re running with the ball. They realise, like Pinocchio: ‘We’re a real team after all!’ Then it’s over all too briefly Whether debut or swansong: ‘The Lions are dead, long live the Lions,’ The baton is passed along. They’ll return one day like Arthur The once and future kings, Back to write new legends In the book of wondrous things. For a scratch team just went toe to toe With the best in the world by far. One helluva performance; Who cares about the cigar?