Football is...
Your weekly dose of fresh poetry #117
Without the
rainbow a colourless
match was laid onto the pitch. Both teams
searching on a goalie's
dream debut.
Football is a passion. I’ve been a keen watcher of final tournaments like the World Cup. I remember the awe I felt when seeing Maradonna meander through the England defence as if the players were slalom markers. Just standing there, unable to do anything about that magic taking place. And, as a Dutchie the magical goals of Bergkamp (1998 against Argentina) and Van Bronckhorst (2010 against Uruguay).
This time, the fun beforehand was overshadowed by talks about corruption and human rights. And rightfully so. I myself had some difficulty with this one. Then I heard that an African player had held up a mirror to us Europeans: there’s too much going wrong, for example at the borders. So, who are we to speak?
Well, that might have been the excuse. But it really isn’t. I don’t think boycotting the World Cup by not watching is an effective way of protesting anything. Or of helping migrant workers, or refugees drowning in the Mediterranean. So, I came up with what I can do best: writing poetry. I will watch the World Cup, especially the matches of the Dutch national team. I will also write poems about the event. These I will mint as NFT that can be collected on the Tezos blockchain. From the earnings, I will use 80% to support NGOs working with vulnerable communities and to support poets.
The poem above is the first one to be minted. More will follow during the tournament. Keep an eye on my collection and collect some poetry.
Are you watching the World Cup? What do you think so far?
Read on for The poetics on life and Poetry elsewhere.
The poetics of life
“It is music and dancing that makes me at peace with the world. And at peace with myself.” To be honest, I get tears in my eyes when I see videos of this man. Our planet is in dire need of a leader like him. Someone we all look up to. Someone who makes us want to be better, do better. Well, let’s first bring some peace to ourselves. That will be a first step. Here’s the music, the dancing is up to you. I’m joining you.
Maybe, if listening to music is not enough for you, you can go make your own instruments. Like this guy did. I’m not a big fan of the sound of this particular one, but I like the project. Have a look:
Not sure why you should do all that? Well, music and dancing make you at peace with the world, but playing an instrument makes you smarter:
Poetry elsewhere
In some places, people are simply just waiting for an angel. Joe Triton Schmidt creates worlds in his poems, or maybe describes the world as he sees it so accurately, he takes you into that world and shows you all the corners. This one paints a bleak picture, Desolation Poem:
The first time I saw a poem by Marta Gazzola I was sold. She mixes at least four languages to create beautiful pieces of art. Each one is accompanied by an AI image. Her work is very diverse, and sometimes the poems come from the art she creates. Like with this poem, Mae. The artwork was there, and then it was waiting for the poem. Both are beautiful. Have a look and make an offer to collect an NFT edition.
Do you read poetry with or to your kids? You should. There is so much out there and kids love it. One you could share with your kids is #iamwalkinghome. You can find it in the Voisegram newsletter from the Wallobooks project. They also regularly send out bedtime stories, so consider subscribing. Read the poem here:
I wrestled with the all the WC-related issues too. That said, the 2 things that bring the world together more than anything are music and soccer. And there is NOTHING like the World Cup. And to be honest, taking some sort of principled stand or boycotting would've been hypocritical given the issues we're facing here in the US. It would be weird to not watch the World Cup while being okay with watching teams from, say, Texas or Florida.
It would also have been a huge disservice to the players and teams.
So, like you, I will find other ways to focus my energy. It's possible to be furious with Qatar workers' rights issues/work for change and cheer your team on in full voice. Here's to both our teams making a deep run!