A little context for this poem as I know NaPoWriMo poets and readers come from all over the world.
Today is the 24th anniversary of the worst football disaster in British history. At Hillsborough in Sheffield, 96 fans of Liverpool FC were crushed to death at a Cup semi-final. Police, politicians and the media blamed the fans for everything from causing the deaths to picking the pockets of the dead. Finally, justice was served, the fans cleared and the blame laid at the appropriate doors. You can read more here
All those who love football and their fans stand with the families and friends of the lost, no matter their own team allegiance and here is my poem for them.
Hillsborough - Sonnet for the Ninety-Six
Which takes longer to pass,
justice or grief?
Impossible to tell in
Liverpool.Families stood firm in dignified belief,
their hollow reward; unmasked lies and fools.
Cops and government trust ripped at the seams,
the two-faced Sun will never shine again.
Guilty only of too much love for team
shown in blood and billboards at Leppings Lane.
Waves of love and empathy flow towards
a city whose passion runs blue and red.
Two rival teams for once both sheath their swords
to pay respects to the now cleared dead.
And though words themselves can never atone
All teams’ crowds sing, “You’ll never walk alone”.
I am old enough to recall this tragedy and send thoughts, and the prayers of a lapsed Catholic, to all of those who lived through it.
ReplyDelete