A bonus poem
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Look at these trophies.
See how my trophies gleam in the sunlight.
See how they shine.
What do you think it took to become
English hammer-throwing champion nineteen sixty-nine?
Do you think in that moment, when my big moment came,
That I treated the rules with casual disdain?
Well? Like hell!
As I stepped up to the circle, did I change my plan?
Hmm? What?
As I chalked up my palms, did I wave my hands?
I did not!
As I started my spin, did I look at the view?
Did I drift off and dream for a minute or two?
Do you think I faltered or amended my rotation?
Do you think I altered my intended elevation?
As the hammer took off, did I change my grunt,
From the grunt I had practised for many a month?
Not a jot, not a dot did I stray from the plot.
Not a detail of my throw was adjusted or forgotten.
Not even when the hammer left my hands
And sailed high up, up above the stands, did I let myself go.
No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No!
If you want to throw the hammer for your country,
You have to stay inside the circle all the time,
And if you want to make the team,
You don’t need happiness or self-esteem,
You just need to keep your feet inside the line.
Sing, children – two, three, four!
If you want to throw the hammer for your country,
(Habinot est magitem.) [Suitable is more.]
You have to stay inside the circle all the time.
(Circular! Magitem! Magitem!) [More! More!]
And if you want to teach success,
(Aaah …)
You don’t use sympathy or tenderness.
(Tenderness …)
You have to force the little squits to toe the line!
Sing, Jenny – two, three, four!
If you want to throw the hammer for your country,
(Regotem … Regotem varia magitem …) [To guide … To guide variety more …]
You have to stay inside the circle all the time.
(Tempero es te iste is.) [Thee are to control it.]
Apply just one simple rule –
To hammer-throwing, life, and school –
Life’s a ball, so learn to throw it.
Find the bally line, and toe it,
And always keep your feet inside the line.
Now get out.
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From Matilda the Musical; lyrics by Tim Minchin.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Samuel, in a pleading voice: “Soccer on Peacock?”
John-Paul: “Tomorrow we will watch some soccer on Peacock.”
Samuel: “We will watch Netherlands versus Japan.”
John-Paul: “We will watch Croatia versus Argentina.”
Samuel, happy: “We will watch Croatia versus Argentina.”
He has a deck of cards with flags, country names, and capitals on them. He likes to put two cards opposite each other and announce the soccer matchup. “Denmark versus North Korea.” Or else: “Germany versus Thailand.”
That’s the spirit.
His Spanish pronunciation is improving, too.