@515 (2008)

He wakes me without fail at 515

for football practice 

with the boys of FC Sixth: 

 the sports club-come-

sarker team 

Waking me to practice 

feints and scissors;

 Waking me to practice 

volleys and sprints. 

 Shaking me 

Jumping on my back at 530, 

Eyes fixed and following the hands on a clock

("It's too early. We should fall back to sleep.")

 

But to us

this unearthly time holds more importance 

than 40 extra winks

It gives us power to 

cope with the Rest of the Day

with all His Idiocy

and Her Incomprehensibility

 

They surround our worlds

Right now though he shouts to me in excitement

And my body can no longer resist

Getting to the park

We move like sharks; we move like leopards

We move like vermin 

as we make the inevitable dash 

for the 711 ‘rice ball’

And the quick cycle dash to Toyama Park

 

Where he will strive for the next level, 

Where he will surpass my fading soccer skills 

 Association football grabbed his imagination 

and he won’t be satisfied 

until he can do more ‘kick-ups’ 

until he can do harder ‘rocket shots’ 

than me. 

It’s all good fun

But compared with mine childhood, 

council-housed with front-and-back gardens; 

1-parent waiting at home: 

it’s tough 

I won't lie.

Its tough

But still I wouldn’t change 

Him

Or 

Her 

for the world.