The One Legged Plastic Footballer That Time Forgot Poem by Dónall Dempsey

He's the one legged
plastic footballer

that Time forgot
along with a pack

of Airman cigarettes
dried up shaft of wheat
dried up moth
some matches all played out
doomed never to catch fire
a smelly box candle
of Nag Champa &
a single 100mg Gabapentin

capsule
for a long-ago pain

rain on the shingles
the colour of his strip

worn away by fingertips
just able to…make out…he's a…No.6.

It takes 3 matches before
(used children's voices shouting: '...go on…go on...')

'...he must score! ')

The smelly candle
is lit

the single 100mg Gabapentin capsule
is taken for present pain

the same old one
come ‘round again

and a broken in two
pure Graphite 4B pencil

begins to scribble
this poem.

Rain on the shingles.
Rain on the shingles.
Rain on the shingles.

...still.