There is a ball in play
and a ticking timer
somewhere on the sideline

Every single one of us
is winded and panting,
our hands on our knees

We are not struggling
to stay upright, it’s
not quite as bad as that

but our joints ache and
our hearts are thumping
collectively;
every lung is wheezing

Each of us thinks to ourselves
‘I’m way out of my league.
There are younger men than me

‘And healthier, too. Perhaps
I should get off the pitch
and let those young men have a go’

Then the ball goes spinning this way
just outside of your immediacy
so you dash for it, kicking wildly

You do not score a goal on that play
or many other plays, really.
You stumble a lot and you’re tired

But the truth is, even in this
complete state of disarray
there is wholeness on that soccer pitch

The truth is, even as we struggle
to keep our bodies moving and our
hearts beating and our lungs full of air

Even as we miss each shot and
whiff each kick, we are playing,
and you can’t win if you don’t play