Richie's Week
Onevalefan has now reached the classroom. In Barry’s lastest contribution he tells us how one of our younger members spends parts of his week.
This is Barry’s 49th poem for ovf – not counting the duet verse he did with Chris aka Trent Vale Valiant and we wonder if maybe there will a ‘Special Edition’ poem for his half century? Guess it’s wait and see on that score.
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When Richard Hawkins aka Richie asked me to write a poem for him as part of a school assignment I wasn’t sure that I could respond in a positive way. You see, not only are we years apart, but miles apart too because I’m in my 60s and live in Australia. Richie is still at school and lives in Stoke-on-Trent – my birthplace.
Anyway, after giving due thought it seemed appropriate to share with you some of the things Richie tells us on onevalefan – a football ‘Web site owned by ex Caverswall boy Mr Rob Fielding which is dedicated to all things Port Vale FC.
The reference to Burslem Green in this poem is historical because in my childhood there were, geographically speaking, five ‘Greens: Hanley Green; Near Green; Far Green; Sneyd Green and Burslem Green.
Oh, and by the way, for those who love the work of Dylan Thomas you will instantly recognise my cheeky ‘phrase’ inclusion from one of his more famous poems – with apologies to Mr Thomas’ memory of course.
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Richie’s Week
Who is this youth I never seen
With mine own eyes on Burslem Green
Whose only contact man to man
Is cyber world on onevalefan?
Each weekday morn it’s early rise
And off to school with bleary eyes,
But if the football news is good
Then life is great ‘Under Milk Wood’.
There’s PSE and Climbing Walls,
Geography, then RE calls,
Plus Physics and Biology
And Science and lots of Chemistry.
With PE, Food and Math to boot
He seems to be a busy youth,
There’s Chemistry and ICT
And how a Citizen to be.
He tells me that he studies hard,
His cyber smile says he’s no mard,
Except for French, for him a yawn,
‘Cus he is English – Potteries born.
On Friday nights he stays up late
And travels as a cyber mate,
A can of Coke, a takeaway,
And ‘Football Manager’ will play.
On Saturdays when ‘Vale’s at home
There’s only one place he will roam,
With season ticket in his hand
It’s Vale Park, the Paddock Stand.
Before he joins his Valiant clan
He’ll check again with onevalefan
To get the latest team and news
Plus read the other members’ views.
He’ll walk with others through the ‘Town
And up the Hamil to the ‘Ground
To watch the game and sing out loud
With other Valiants in the crowd.
When back at home it’s ‘Net World Wide’
To tell his exiled Valiant tribe
His match-day thoughts and other stuff
Plus how Port Vale is on the up.
On Sundays he plays football too,
But not for Vale, Stoke or Crewe,
A younger side, a different speed
And in the Potteries Junior League.
Dimensions is his football team,
And ‘though he tells me they are keen
They’ve only won one off the boot
Against high flyers Crewe Town Youth.
When evening falls it’s on the ‘Web
To check the news and all that’s said
About the games he watched or played
Before he joins the sleep brigade.
Who is this youth I never seen
With mine own eyes on Burslem Green
Whose only contact man to man
Is cyber world on onevalefan?
© onevalefan
Barry Edge
Western Australia
December 20 2004
🙂