We praise them with a fervor of death, with bloodlust and hunger, with belief and passion to conquer our foes,
Our voice is singular — one; and at eve of the sabbath we stand united, clenching our fists.
United, with adrenaline pumping and rushing through veins we are ready, prepared and screaming at the top of our voices only mouths are we.
Who sings the distant heart which safely exists in the center of all things, but we
United, a cluster of hearts are we, but beating as one.
And afterwards, later, we drink as we hail our wins, we drink as we drench our sorrows, mourn our losses we drink.
This is the meaning of life, but you call it diversion, a game for the foolish, or wasting our time.
You know nothing; it’s football, my team; without it, I’d rather be dead.
Jeffrey Smart
Today at dVerse Sanna hosts Prosery at dVerse and the line we have to include is “Only mouths are we. Who sings the distant heart which safely exists in the center of all things? – from Rainer Maria Rilke, “Heartbeat.” which turned out to be a bit challenging. I hope you don’t think I’m this passionate about any football team, but I do think that there are those who think life is all about the game and the team.
This was such a clever use of the prompt, Bjorn. My husband used to work for a well-known football team, and to go to those matches, you get caught up in the atmosphere: for some people it really is everything. I just enjoyed being a (mostly) impartial observer!
I’m just amazed at how you got from Rilke to football, Björn! I recognised football fans I have known in your piece – I can envisage them clenching their fists, only mouths – which is pretty terrifying when you’re present at a match. I used to go to Tottenham matches with my husband and I was scared of the other fans!
I love how brilliantly you have incorporated the line by Rilke here, Bjorn! I can feel the adrenaline pumping and rushing through the veins as I visualize the scene before me. Kudos! Thank you so much for writing to the prompt 💝💝
Very clever! When I started reading at first, I thought it was a political group rally, then sports. I’ve seen how people get crazed about football (both kinds). But I don’t follow or care about sports at all.
Bjorn, you are right, there are MANY who feel like this about their sports teams and the bond they share with others who worship them. Such a powerful write!
The reverse at the end is so clever. There’s me thinking “Valhalla awaits”, but, no, it’s football, our modern day tribalism in sports form. Great read, thank you
Brilliant write Björn
Happy Monday
Much💚love
The opening is very Warrior-like. I expected to be dropped into dystopian chaos, and how nice to find football at the crux. Do you mean Soccer or American football?
I think it could be either, but I expect European Football to have more fanatic fans.
I was totally pulled into the fervour here. Clever use of the lines. And how true for some who are fanatically obsessed by it.
lol I really thought this was going esoteric, then the footy twist at the end! So unexpected
This was good, and the ending was interestingly surprising. 🙂
Björn, your use of the quote felt amazingly natural in this piece – I am profoundly impressed.
❤
David
For many football is where it’s at! Well done!
Wow, you drew me into this fight, this cause, and then, football!! So true!!! Never quite understood the attraction. Good job on the prompt!
You drew me in completely Bjorn. I am not a football fan either, but this was delightfully surprising.
Bjorn, you’ve made a touchdown! [cheers]
Wonderful twist at the end, which I should have seen coming from the title.
WELL! I had no idea where you were heading, but thrilled you got me there!
There is an uncanny revelation that the love of sports does stick on for a long time. It says so here Bjorn!
Hank
Oh! Great use of the prompt. Three cheers on the twist, I do love how it could work for American or European football.
Lol….very clever, that ending is perfect and funny. Taking the subject matter and turning it into a sophisticated rant woks very well. And, I am in wholehearted agreement…great use of the prompt!
You really got adrenaline pumping. I was fully in the warriors going to battle. Until the end. For years I lived near Globen, and I’ll never forget how it felt like violence was about to erupt every time there was a big game coming.
Nicely done. Very atmospheric 😃
Have spent many an hour cheering on our 5 grandchildren in games of football/soccer. Only one left playing the game these days.