rugby pitch – dverse rondeau
The rugby pitch shaped us as men
shared pain and blood declared us friend.
Disparate backgrounds overcome
fifteen find purpose, move as one
who might have never met and spoke.
The field is marked in white with chalk
transcendent boundary where honor walked,
class discarded, in duty cloaked,
the rugby pitch.
It took me then from boy to man
the old found youth, a brilliant plan
till fatigue and time in hard pursuit
drag us down till we face truth.
If I could play just once again,
the rugby pitch.
bwfiction 
Teamwork and rights of passage. Nice job.
thanks Sharon
A wonderful poem, Bill. Your love of the sport for all the right reasons is so evident here and you’ve done a great job of expressing your feelings.
VB – thanks I do miss it.
Very cool! I like that you tackled rugby with a rondeau!
thanks – that’s a great comment!
It’s cool how something as simple as sport…or poetry, for that matter…can bring so many seemingly incompatible people together. Great rondeau!
thanks —
We had wealthy sons in Medical school, lawyers, working men, and some who could barely stay out of jail.
a rogue’s gallery but all dedicated to the sport…
Wonderful observations here – another unexpected theme for this form! 🙂
time steals many things from us Freya – let us hope cherished friendships remain.
Oh yes. They are so important.
ha. i am glad i can not play as rough as i once did…it would hurt in new ways for sure….the synergy of team though is def alluring…
yes, it’s an elixir that once tasted dims the flavor of other things
WoW! nice description of a sport in poetic form.
thanks – I think sport fits the poetic – it is a place where honor is valued, unlike so many things in the world.
I used to play rugby union – mostly in the forwards – and it is a brilliant game.
This is an interesting adaptation of the rondeau form; you’ve allowed yourself to use many more rhymes than the form strictly calls for, but I think your poem needs that, so kudos for breaking free of the restrictions.
And yes, rugby does make men from boys – unlike the round-ball game which seems to have the opposite effect.
Thanks Tony – I played rugby union too. Agree about the round-ball. This will be a fun place to refine and work on structure for me.
Excellent observation of how team pursuits bring us together in a camaraderie that would not exist with them.
And how true it is that we yearn for the past when our body lets us know we can no longer play the game.
Anna :o]
thanks Anna – I have a true story in my other blog here: about an experience with apartheid that shows how sport breaks down barriers.
I’ve spent some time on the rugby pitch, and can certainly relate to it: binding tight indeed.
yes, even the vocabulary is rich, binding, ruck, maul, in touch and with you….
How much better with a rugby patch than a battle-field. Never done it myself but I recon the comeraderie really is a good memory
friendship comes from shared effort is usually rich and deep.
No rugby pitch for me – but spent four years in the police special constabulary – friendships made during shared danger/distress – everlasting.
My son spent 2 years in the military – Singapore has the draft (national service). The friendships built will last a lifetime for him too, I know.
You’re right – it makes men out of boys.
Eric – you continue to amaze me with the richness of the life you have lived.
Good for you son – I still have one daughter unattached 🙂