World Cup Wallchart: Reflections

I watch him with an envious heart,
So much hope, full of dreams.
A thousand images race through his mind.
If I could tell him the truth right now, I wouldn't.

He stares at it on the wall,
And the past comes flooding back,
What it gave, it had taken back, with vengeance.
But he was still standing, ready for the gamble again.

They say to predict the future look at the past,
But his heart renders that null.
Does he really believe or is the need just too great?
Surely the hurt must end sometime?

And now I pity him, for I know what's coming,
Get ready, for the roller coaster's coming round,
Jump in and prepare for the short ride.
And soon you'll do it all again.

© Andrew Males

This was me after another World Cup failure from England, thinking back at how I looked at my wallchart before the tournament started and plotted out our route to glory, blissfully unaware of the hurt that was to come.