1996 poems

A Skip's Prayer

Dear Lord, we need your help as in the past
When we take the ice this very day!

Grant your aid, I pray, to my curling band,
When soon we step upon the curling ice,
And may my rink curl so very grand,
They'll be on the broom once or twice.

For my lead, I ask, that he have his weight;
For my second, I pray he delivers on broom;
May my vice, I beg, a strong house create;
May our take-outs sound like a sonic boom!

One last thing I'll add to this earnest plea,
And I ask from my heart with pious lip,
If you can't help our rink to victory,
Please Lord, don't help the other skip!

A Skip's Lament

We've played great games in recent years
Where skills were matched and play was even
But today's game confirmed my worst of fears,
Left little doubt with my one and your seven!

It seems whatever curling gods there be,
Against my rink came forth in full array,
And smiled on you but not on me,
When we played your rink this very day!

I asked my lead for front-house weight,
His stone went crashing to the clubhouse gate;
I called for a guard, and got a blast
That removed my counter, while I stood aghast!

I asked my vice for front-end weight
But a hogged stone was our sorry lot!
An easy draw I called for my last stone,
Was off the broom and the game was blown!

Meanwhile, your rink, my friend and foe,
Could do naight but watch your point score grow!
You'd place your broom and call your shot,
And lo, it would be perfect more oft than not!

And when, perchance, your stones were thrown astray,
They'd wick off other stones and stay in play;
Or when your guards were thrown off weight,
'Twould be my stones they'd abrogate!

Truly, my friend, I tell you this,
The curling game is not always bliss;
A scourge of furies from out of hell
Can keep any skip from doing well!

But enough of this lament! ... I claim
The score will change from game to game,
And a win or two will change my tune.
(And this, I hope, will happen soon!)

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