At Bristol Temple Meads Station,

a place I had known well

since the days of travelling, sideswiped

by having my soul

trapped between south and middle of the road

middle of decisions of going back and forth

on rails, on tracks, keeping on track…

I set out to conquer a new world

with the help of Michael Palin standing

directly behind me as the August

sun sapped my strength.

 

My father, the man who got me into

the beautiful game along with a man

who once played a single game

as a single man in goal for the army

at St. Andrews, looked behind my shoulder,

heaving hard, wondering if I had chewed

off too much, taken a leap in the dark too far,

of attending a game at every league ground,

too complete the 92;

buck up lad, he whispered, never let them

see you hurting, bite your lip, sod them

and don’t let a hero see you give in…

 

I raised tired eyebrows, one at a time,

my strength giving way to intrigue

as you wonder just what your dad

is talking about…

Michael Palin is behind you, don’t

make it obvious, don’t let him see you hurt,

let him go past you sunshine…

I swelled in heart, this was a day in not

to be disheartened, not to let the world

have its way of crushing hope…

in my chair I sat upright and

waited, the first game of the challenge,

of proving I could still do something

spectacular and have a smile

upon my face…

 

I waited, Bristol City against Torquay

now long gone, the draw a distant memory,

I waited for Michael Palin

to pass me by but all I heard

was the sound of the train

chugging its engine and starting its long

and tiresome journey to wherever from the gray

and empty platform…

 

Keep it steady, here it comes e, keep

the pain tucked in, keep smiling…

 

And the train passed me by,

the gleaming engine proudly

displaying the plaque of a hero

and whilst I felt duped by my father,

the smile on his once shaved morning face

as impish as I had ever seen it,

I instantly gave way and knew what he had done,

the push to complete now installed,

one down, ninety one,

at least, to go…

and I watched Michael Palin roll off

into the distance.

 

Ian D. Hall 2016