I wrote this poem for my niece’s christening, in relation to the Bible reading chosen for the service (Philippians 4:4-9). Ardleigh Green Junior School selected it as their Poem of the Week and it was also read at a funeral for a keen sports fan.
Firstly:
Practice prioritising the positive.
Tune in, step up, hunker down and dig deep –
Visualise the perfect pass,
Emulate the best in class,
Recognise the winning way,
Appreciate the fairest play,
Focus on the first-rate,
Celebrate the truly great.
As in sport, so in life.
Secondly,
Intentionally integrate the negative.
When you’ve dropped the ball
And hit the buffers,
When you’re on the ropes
And become a cropper,
Feel the pain.
Don’t be too quick to play again.
Do whatever you need to do;
Seek a strategy to see you through.
As in sport, so in life.
Thirdly:
Readily receive the reward.
As in sport, not quite so in life.
For in sport, the reward is
Stunning victory not crushing defeat,
Relentless advance not full-blown retreat,
Top-of-your-game not peaked-too-soon,
World Cup not wooden spoon.
But in life, the reward is
Peace.
Peace within us,
Peace between us,
Peace around us.
Peace is the prize when everyone wins.
When all move up and none are sent down,
When all fly high and none hit the ground,
When all are in and none are out –
Peace is the result worth shouting about.
Claire Boot 