By The Urban Poet

Horse racing

Greyhounds bracing

Hare chasing

Runners pacing

Biding their time

To cross the line

First past the post

The faster, the most

speed and guile 

Running a mile

Or swimming at speed

To take the lead

Only to lose by a fingertip

Like a boxer with a bruised split lip

On the ropes and then he slipped

Like a cricketer who ran too quick 

to get run out and got some stick

From his team mates and the fans

Like at a football match

In added time, when a goal is scored

By the very last man

You’d ever expect to put it away

Usually he could play all day

Before he’d hit the back of the net

Like a tennis player with a cute backhand

Who can play on grass, hardcourt or sand

And sand is what the long jumper’s about

When he beats the record just hear ‘em shout

like all sports fans around the world

Their hero’s have won, the flags unfurled

They’ve hit the top from being zero

Thank God for all the sporting hero’s

Fred Varden 2018