ASADA WADA - a supplementary saga

ball umpire
ball umpire
ball umpire
ball
it was clearly holding
and now the perfect A-plus umpire
get a grip mate
an empire of umpires
and all the media sharks jump sharks
bomb bombers
don jumpers, our colours, our sash slashed
and hall-of-famers, using famous flamers
pontificating punters
pulling punches on benches
showing cause to show cause
where perhaps on the greyest of days
it never rains in round twelve
a slow slow slow cook
a lawyers feast, a sports science weapon
finals at any cost – whatever it takes umpire
glutton-faced injections umpire
down the race to get a shot umpire
in the back umpire
in the back umpire
in the back umpire
in the back
a little comeback in the last stanza, off a step
and we hird him in shadows on phones
texting reasons to inject our boys
with other blood and enzymes
and protein and coffee
and biscuits, ball over the line
out of bounds umpire
out of bounds umpire
out of bounds umpire
out of bounds
and there’s no way back
first to a hundred
screwy from 60 metres out
short stab pass, seven point turnaround
right in the chest
and mounting a legal challenge
at the centre circle
grass in mouth,
socks n laces sorted
shooting at goals
and missing