Testimonial
This poem was written for Newport City Council, and read by me at the opening of The Gentle Giant Exhibition, The Newport Centre, Tuesday 12 April 2005. The exhibition celebrates the life of John Charles, the first internationally sucessful Welsh footballer.
Testimonial
Make no statue for this man:
What could a statue show of him?
Could it show the boy of fourteen
Who left his misspelt name,
Finger-written in cement,
As a memorial to his dreams;
Would it show the footballer,
Part salmon, part stag, part mule and part Fred Astaire,
Who towered in the Italian sun,
Gossamer booted,
And sang of Love in Portofino;
Or should it show the man
Who lost everything,
Finally losing even himself,
Yet never stopped giving
As his world collapsed:
Who knew a big head
Was always beaten
By a big heart.
Make no statue for John Charles;
No statue could be big enough.
Testimonial
Make no statue for this man:
What could a statue show of him?
Could it show the boy of fourteen
Who left his misspelt name,
Finger-written in cement,
As a memorial to his dreams;
Would it show the footballer,
Part salmon, part stag, part mule and part Fred Astaire,
Who towered in the Italian sun,
Gossamer booted,
And sang of Love in Portofino;
Or should it show the man
Who lost everything,
Finally losing even himself,
Yet never stopped giving
As his world collapsed:
Who knew a big head
Was always beaten
By a big heart.
Make no statue for John Charles;
No statue could be big enough.
posted by Goff Morgan | 10:38 pm
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