On the occasion of Shane Warne’s State Funeral, I humbly offer these lines of verse:
At the top of his mark he lingers,
Flicking the ball between his fingers,
His blonde hair glistens in the sun,
Making the batsman wait, just for fun.
With casual malevolence he scans the field,
Using every power he has to wield,
Moving a fielder this way and that,
Pulling a rabbit from out the hat.
Glaring at the batsman, he licks his lips,
Imagining the leather spinning towards the slips,
Grasping the ball, he strongly flicks it,
Before rolling forward towards the wicket.
The batsman waits, his mind in a scramble,
Reading nothing from Warnie’s amble,
Will it be the slider or the big leg break,
Feeling every inch of tension’s weight.
With a grunt, Shane flicks his wrist,
The mischievous ball begins to twist,
Arcing gracefully in parabolic flight,
Giggling all the way with devilish delight.
The ball fizzes and starts to drift,
The buzz of the crowd begins to lift,
The batsman can’t think fast enough,
As the ball drifts towards the rough.
Now is the moment, now is the time,
The batsman has misread every sign,
His hesitant feet begin to skip,
As the ball lands and starts to rip.
The bat searches for the ball in vain,
A tortured mind in a world of pain,
The ball sniggers as it fizzes on by,
The crowd awaits the keeper’s cry.
The ball dislodges the wooden bails,
The fielders rejoice with jubilant wails,
The batsman falls, his technique tattered,
Looking behind, his stumps are scattered.
Warnie roars in spontaneous rapture,
Another wicket to enhance his stature,
His teammates gather in triumphant rejoice,
As the crowd gives adulation its voice.
We miss those golden days of spin,
When Warnie ruled and Shane was King,
Batsman left confused and muddled,
Contorted minds bemused and befuddled.
But now it’s time say goodbye,
To let the untamed spirit fly,
The game will never be the same,
Not without that bloke named Shane.
Peter Hunt
Roar Guru
Yep, we're all good. :happy:
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
Yeah that's why I'm not contributing too much in the Shane Warne thing overall. But Peter Hunt and I are friendly none the less.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Well, yes. I would say just leave it as acknowledging someone expressing their own personal thoughts in a moment of intimate reflection. I've been to a few funerals where I may not have been 100% aligned with the sentiments being expressed by some speakers; but I wouldn't get up and raise an alternative view. Let them have their respectful moment as they see it.
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
So are you saying I should have just left it at 'fantastic poetry'?
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Now Bernie, sometimes it's not always necessary to micro-examine the sentiments of others. It's occasionally ok just to acknowledge the feelings expressed by some and leave it at that. :thumbup:
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Nice :thumbup:
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
I've usually found the Semaphore version is the most truthful one.
Linphoma
Guest
Funny there's the mention of The Godfather on it's 50th anniversary. I recently read a suite of pieces in the New York Times on the cultural impact the movie (not the book, in no way denigrating the printed word) played on actual New York mobsters. They actually started to imitate the dramatic portrayals of how they should look, talk, behave, their values. They were actually asking for musicians to play the love theme from the movie at venues.
Linphoma
Guest
Beautiful. Poignant. Still shaking my head over this loss.
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
Yeah I didn't mind a bit of Godfather back in the day. Also unfair to compare the movie to the book - very few movies do measure up in comparison, but can still be excellent.
Peter Hunt
Roar Guru
I completely agree with you re expectations and I like the comparisons. It's a silly analogy, but I get cranky with people who dis Godfather Part III, because it wasn't as good as Parts I and II. Those films are in the conversation for the best movies of all time! Part III was a fine movie...even if it fell short of being in the top 5 of all time...
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
Yeah no disagreement on that eloquence either and no apology needed either. :laughing: The big crime in Australian cricket ever since Warne is basically telling any future aspiring spinner that if he wants a test career he has to be as good as Warne. Aspiring spinners should feel that if they can be as good as MacGill or Lyon then they will be an asset. Same with Gilly: aspiring keeper should want to keep as good as Gilly and bat as well as Healy.
Peter Hunt
Roar Guru
Whilst I agree with you, the champions of each era generally bring something new to that era. My memories of Lillee and Thommo are different from my memories of Cummins and Starc. My memories of Border are different from my memories of Steve Smith. They have a different character. They have a different look and feel in my mind's eye. And what the recent Warne-fest has drilled home in my mind is that I didn't see the likes of him before and I haven't seen the likes of him since, especially the repeated sight of batsmen getting whiplash when they hear their stumps rattled before looking at keeper and bowler with a "how did that happen?" look on their faces. I recognise and apologise for the cliche, but I don't think the game has been the same since Warnie retired. That doesn't mean there hasn't been any magic since that time, but the magic is different.
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
It is fantastic poetry, I just never like the almost cliche phrase “The game will never be the same without you”. When Shane messed up big time in Johannesburg early 1994 with his ridiculous behaviour towards Andrew Hudson, it was vice-captain Mark Taylor who took him aside later and reminded him that no one individual is bigger than the game. And every era has great players. Victor Trumper, Don Bradman, Stan McCabe and Bill O’Reilly, Keith Miller and Neil Harvey, Richie Benaud and Alan Davidson, The Chappells, Doug Walters, Rod Marsh and Lillian Thommo. Allan Border, Ian Healy and the Waugh twins, McGrath and even Shane Warne. Then Ponting, Gilly, and now Steve Smith and Pat Cummins. The game will always be the same for as long as every era has champion players, and it is quite ok that those champion players come in different forms and prowesses.
Sgt Pepperoni
Roar Rookie
Very nice
Ace
Roar Rookie
Hi Peter, That's marvellous not only as a poem but for the unforgettable profile of our wonderful cricketer
Alan
Guest
Thanks Peter, reminiscences of so many great moments.
Peter Hunt
Roar Guru
Thanks Riccardo.
Riccardo
Roar Rookie
To quote another leggie master ...Marvelous...
Tony
Roar Guru
Great stuff Peter :thumbup: