1979

November’s disinvigorating light

leaks thinly through the bloodless sky above;

it casts its feeble glow upon a grim

unwilling  young boy’s face. The battle’s nigh.

Today, a boy will be kicked in the head.

Aggression, tamed and caged through childhood’s progress,

will be released, awoken by the vile,

demented exhortations of the teachers

who coach this bloody code of violent conduct.

And soon, a boy will be kicked in the head.

Companions, friends-like-brothers, thrown together

by accident or fate, will face each other

in angry combat, fighting for the chance

to take possession of a ball, and charge.

Shortly, a boy will be kicked in the head.

A whistle blows. A ball is kicked. It starts.

Amidst the rush of nervous limbs, the ball

is fumbled by embarrassed hands and falls

upon the ground. Attack and ruck. Retrieve

the ball and form a maul and push towards

the twenty-two without success. Collapse.

And see? A boy is lying on the ground.

And now this boy will be kicked in the head,

the helpless victim of an unseen… boot.

Imagine being ten, at boarding school,

and lying helpless on the ground, surrounded

by angry boots belonging to a mob

of boys who’ve all been taught to “take his legs,”

to “bring him down,” and “get stuck in like men.”

It isn’t in the laws, this booting of

the skull, but what should we expect?