Together Poem by Reece Richardson

Crouch. Touch. Pause, Engage!
SLAM!
Two shaking, sweaty walls of grunting
flesh, bone, blood and mud collide
together in an epic encounter of
youthful competition.

Immovable object
Unstoppable force

Squeeze, knees, Push! One two Three! One Two Three!

Suddenly in flies the egg.
At their feet, precious and unpredictable it it
taken on a merry jig by the
two hookers in the centre as the
rest strain sinew and sweat for
the extra inch.

Steam rises from the pack dominating
centre field, into the cold November
Sunday Morning.

The small collection of supporters
for each side huddle together
over polystyrene cups of tea with
bacon butties oozing ketchup just
like the Full Backs nose did after
the hulking second row bulldozed
through him to score the second
Try of the match.

Two lines of lads waiting
expectantly for the interweaving
mass of bodies to give
birth to a fruitful gift
that they could cradle all
the way through the
opponents 22 and on to a
comfortable finish between the posts.



Rain begins to mist down on all
gathered. Bathing the sweat,
steam, cheers, aches, pains and
muddy grass in its sparkling
grey light.

Hung in a moment of time

Anything's possible

Life hung in the balance

It's a hard game, But worth it.

Worth every second mate.