The winner's ecstatic. The loser, in shame
embraces the dirt and weeps bitter tears
and that is the show called the Olympic Games.
Some come for fortune and some come for fame,
but all are excited: once every four years,
the winner's ecstatic. The loser, in shame
plays the bad sportsman and calls dirty names
on judges, competitors, anyone near.
And that is the show called the Olympic Games:
success gathers medals and failure's blamed,
but effort's ignored and gets nary a cheer
leaving winners ecstatic and losers ashamed.
Political footballs are made out of claims
of athletic skill on the human frontiers.
And that is the show called the Olympic Games
which once was a sacred pursuit of the flame,
the gift of the gods to the men they held dear,
both winner ecstatic and loser unshamed
at the heart of the show called the Olympic Games.
Collection available! Knocking from Inside
Monday, August 11, 2008
Winners and Losers
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4 comments:
strange as my comm' may appear, this poem of yours reminds me of a song a young veteran from the vietnam war - tough not used to, wrote and sang before his peers.
the construction and inner rhymes... the themes...
er, and i have another "surprise" for you : i read all this from France, where i live.
Great Villanelle! These are extremely hard to create but this works wonderfully. You've captured some quality snapshots of the positives and negatives of the Olympic Games.
Great poem!
Your first five stanzas was about the face, the circus of performers if you will, that is the Olympic games....the one that speaks of the heart of the Olympics, where no one is ashamed.
I saw on the news about a wrestler who won a bronze medal and then after receiving it, walked away form the podium and dropped in on the ground in disgust. He disrespected the other medal winners and the sport as well as his country when he did that. He should have been proud to compete, not ashamed he didn't win a gold medal.
Such a poignant critical look at the Olympics.
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