All the Way
The notion of taking it all the way
that Homer and Achilles held in common
is what has brought us here today,
not to speak of an impatience with backgammon
that Homer and Achilles held in common.
For the notion of a ‘flying wedge’,
not to speak of an impatience with backgammon,
is what gave Homer and Achilles the edge.
The notion of a ‘flying wedge’
with its sheer momentum, its brute force,
is what gave Homer and Achilles the edge
(as well as the men of Princeton, of course.)
With their sheer momentum, their brute force,
few could advance a line of scrimmage
as well as the men of Princeton, of course,
themselves conjuring up an image
few but myself would advance...For the line of scrimmage,
the running with the ball, the block, the tackle
themselves might conjure up an image
that might have appealed to ‘Duncher’ Mackle,
whose running with the ball, whose block and tackle
I recall from my childhood in Ireland.
I might have appealed to ‘Duncher’ Mackle
and Freddie Grew and ‘Slab’ McParland
who, I recall from my childhood in Ireland,
played Gaelic football on a cattle-pasture pitch.
Freddie Grew and ‘Slab’ McParland
who, for all I know, are lying dead in a ditch,
played Gaelic football on a cattle-pasture pitch
that described, if not a U, the letter L,
for all I know. Aren’t lying dead in a ditch
and this plotted, planned, predetermined pell-mell
that describes, if not a U, the letter L,
with its ‘one step forward, two steps back’,
its plotted, planned, predetermined pell-mell,
somewhat connected? Is not any massive attack
with its ‘one step forward, two steps back’,
its touch-down after brief touch-down,
somewhat connected to the massive attack
against Harvard, Yale, Cornell, Brown,
with touch-down after brief touch-down
by Hillebrand, Cowan, Kazmaier, Poe and Ames?
Against Harvard, Yale, Cornell, Brown,
we set the names
eclipsed by Hillebrand, Cowan, Kazmaier, Poe and Ames.
What with their rushes, their carries, their long punts,
we set the names
of all those who have borne the brunt
of the rush, the carry, the long punt,
and welcome them into this metaphysical zone
where all who have borne the brunt
of battle may bind their wounds and set their bones.
We welcome, too, into the physical zone
of a spanking-new, emerald-green field
of battle those who would bind their wounds and set their bones
so that, as it’s unveiled, it may be revealed
that when men meet on a spanking-new, emerald-green field
they think each other well- rather than ill-met.
Then it may be revealed
that when Homer presents Achilles with his helmet
they, too, think each other well- rather than ill-met
for, when push comes to shove,
and Homer presents Achilles with his helmet
the L of my childhood football pitch will stand for Love
and, when push comes to shove,
in the ‘art of dealing with heaviness’
the U and the L together will stand for Unlimited Love.
For we must aspire to nothing less
as we engage in the ‘art of dealing with heaviness’,
just as what has brought us here today
is that we aspire to nothing less
than the notion of taking it all the way.
Page(s) 2-4
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