As a consequence, I'm making an exception today and posting (with Oliver's permission) one of my favourite poems from his book. This piece was first published in the London Magazine when it was under the stewardship of Alan Ross, one of the most renowned magazine editors around in the second half of the twentieth century, though the poem still resonates today. Football fans might well notice its relevance to current events at Coventry City, but its delicate observations, surefooted music and layered juxtapositions reach far beyond sport and should appeal to many readers...
Geese above Highfield Road
One
of those moments when the stadium
falls
inexplicably quiet – you hear
the
crowd, as one, breathe in and wait
for
someone else’s voice to prompt
the
noise. Geese flying overhead
disrupt
the spell and players call
the
roaring back – an amphitheatre
filled
with sound, cauldron of light
beneath
a darkened autumn sky.
Up
there a flock of geese is set
on
inland lakes, days of food and warmth.
Down
here goals are barely threatened
by
midfield stalemate: we dream
of
wingers making for a corner
then
cutting back to cross behind
a
scattering defence – too much
to
hope for now. Disappearing geese,
I
saw them flying in for winter.
