Leaves of Turf is a game-by-game, season-long series of football verse by TWER poet lAUreate Amorak Huey. His first poem can be found here, his second here, his third here, his fourth here, his fifth here, his incredible sixth here. This week, and for the first time this season, he draws inspiration from Mr. William Shakespeare, who knows very well that Auburn football is our true mistress.
In the Manner of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130, Which Looks to Me Like Sonnet 13-0, Which Would Be Awesome
Game 7 vs. Arkansas, October 16, 2010
These Tigers’ wins are nothing like the sun.
Close games seem to be the place they thrive –
Like Miles’ Tigers, they do only what must be done.
If blowouts are what’s required, this team is 1-5.
I have seen top-10 teams put games away early,
Take a big lead and never let it go.
Yet 14 ahead is where we fans begin to worry.
Step on throats? Let starters rest? Uh, no.
There has to be an easier way to win.
Yes, in the end, the W’s all that matters.
But just once, say, this particular Saturday, with
So much on the line, can Auburn start fast – then finish faster?
. Of course I would not trade this season up to now –
. But please, please: Step on the Hogs. Then keep them down.
…
Amorak Huey didn’t go to Auburn, but he did have a fake Auburn ID so he could sit in the Jordan-Hare student section throughout his college years. A graduate of Birmingham-Southern College, Amorak spent fifteen years as a newspaper reporter and editor at papers in Florida, Kentucky and Michigan. Two years ago, he left his job as assistant sports editor at The Grand Rapids Press to take a position teaching writing at Grand Valley State University. He holds an MFA in creative writing from Western Michigan University, and his poetry has appeared in a number of literary journals. He lives in East Grand Rapids, Mich., with his wife and two children. You can find him online at www.amorakhuey.net.
[…] his second here, his third here, his fourth here, his fifth here, his sixth here, and his seventh here. This week, he turns to Lewis Carroll for inspiration for obvious reasons. Playing a game against […]