Wednesday, December 13, 2006

The Perth Test @ the WACA 14 to 19 December

Tomorrow's the true Test -
leather against willow,
Pom against Aussie.

The crowd wears
wattle green-and-yellow
zinc cream on their noses

while the 'Barmy Army'
chants its soccer songs,
playing away, confused

by the upside-down order
of things: water leaves
antipodean sinks the wrong

way, and lager is
kept on ice. 'Play!'
and cameras flash

as the speedsters
come in to bowl:
'Uh-ah, Glen McGrath!'

chant the Aussies,
mumbling about
the omission of

their local hero,
Adam aptly named,
first among men

wielding the willow.
But still, eleven
tried men and true

bring the battle
to a high-fevered pitch
(the bookies wager

on how many days
the Poms will last)
as the turnstiles spin

and the stock exchange
is 'C'mon ump! Blind Freddy
could see that was out!'


Here, in ancient Cathay,
I am padded up to
go in next. Just

give me the call, Punter,
and I'll drop my laptop
and switch it for a box.

C'mon, Aussie, c'mon.
It's 36 degrees there
and minus ten here

but I'm still warming up
for the game, waving my
(virtual) baggy green in the air.

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