The Wimbledon Poet

 The All England Club

Our British cousins just know how to do things with a bit more panache then their younger American cousins. Imagine, a poet in residence at a major sporting event, I think it is marvelous. But then tennis has always (well almost always) been a sport of manners and class. I would like to take a moment and introduce you to my new "stranger-friend" that I met online via blog and Twitter. Marvelous age we live in, really it is.

This is Matt Harvey, the first appointed poet in residence at the Championships Wimbledon 2010. You can read his daily poems at Wimblewords on the Wimbledon website The Campionships Wimbledon

and this is his poem...

more than a lawn 

By Matt Harvey, The Championships Poet 2010 

 

it's a lawn - just a lawn

but it's more than a lawn

it's a dance floor, a war zone, a platform, a stage

showcase, coliseum, a ring, a fight cage

big top, debating hall, combat arena

goldfish bowl, cauldron, a cliché convener

petri dish, pressure cooker, drama provider

physics laboratory, small hadron collider

it's all these things - sort of - but what is it not?

it isn't a park, or a nice picnic spot

it's not an allotment - there's no strawberry patch

but the bounce will be true

and the bounces will match

those on all the courts made by the Wimbledon crew

it's still just a lawn but one made by the best

a regular lawn but a lawn that is blessed

just a lawn, made of grass, but a lawn that's possessed

of a singular, unparalleled beauty

and Eddie Seaward expects

every blade of grass to do its duty 

(Eddie Seaward, is the Head Groundsman at Wimbledon.)

Weekend Activity

Packing up my cares and woes, here I go...

I'm getting ready for my Hawaii trip and as you can see I like to pack light. Well to be honest the two big suitcases hold my cares and woes, and I fully intend to leave those two bags at home. So off I go to fill up the Baby Bear case with the bare necessities of island life: 

Sun Screen / Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka-Dot Bikini / Floppy Hat / Really Good Book / Beach Towel / and oh yes, my laptop.

You'll be coming along with me so don't fret my friends.

Record Breaking!!!!!

If you were watching the matches at Wimbledon today there was a point where you felt transported to the Coliseum in ancient Rome. It was the clash of two gladiators and I thought it would go on endlessly until one man finally collapsed.

Finally as the moon rose over Court 18 and twilight became a friend, the match was suspended with John Isner of the USA and Nicolas Mahut of France tied in their fifth set battle at 59 - 59. They will return tomorrow to begin again for a third day, to finish off their match which started on Tuesday.

They truly are gladiators, despite exhaustion to the point of near collapse, both continued to serve ace after ace and hit winner after winner. It has become the longest tennis match in history, over ten hours, the fifth set still unfinished is the longest game in history, and aces served are in the mid 90's for both men, no doubt before the game is completed someone will have served 100 aces.

I became transfixed, switching to ESPN3.com when the television coverage turned to the world cup matches, then the world cup matches ended and they were still playing. Only the threat of darkness could stop them. This is a case where a tie should count for something.  Well done gentlemen, well done.

Remember the girl in the famous photo?

Edith Shain was the World War II nurse that was captured in the famous VJ Day photo. She died today at the age of 91 but her image will long remain.

World Cup Update

The French World Cup team caught at a recent practice session.

List of BP Comments - Unbelievable!

Let me know when you had enough!

1. BP board Chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg said he has compassion for the “small people” in the Gulf. In one report I actually heard him say "the little people" and I am sure he wasn't referring to a community of dwarfs.
2. At week six BP Chief Executive Tony Hayward uttered these words: “We're sorry for the massive disruption it's caused their lives. There's no one who wants this over more than I do. I'd like my life back.” 
3. On May 18 Hayward told the BBC "I think the environmental impact of this disaster is likely to have been very, very modest." Making note of the fact that "The Gulf of Mexico is a very big ocean. The amount of volume of oil and dispersant we are putting into it is tiny in relation to the total water volume."
4. On June 8, BP Chief Operating Officer Doug Suttles said that the spill "should be down to a relative trickle by Monday or Tuesday." According to the best scientific estimates, between 10,000 and 35,000 barrels of oil (420,000 to 1.5 million gallons) are still leaking into the Gulf daily. 
5. Earlier, on May 17, BP stuck a siphon into the ruined riser pipe – collecting 1,000 barrels a day – leading Hayward to say: "I do feel that we have, for the first time, turned the corner in this challenge." That siphoning effort was later abandoned. 
6. And on the weekend of June 19 Tony Hayward got his life back - sailing on his yacht 'Bob' in the clean waters off the English coast.

World Cup 2010

Cold compress on my head, ear plugs in place, sedative on the side table (just in case I get over excited) OK I think I am ready: Let the games begin!

Twitter Over Capacity

Isn't this too cute for words, "Twitter over capacity, please try again later." Hmm, I wonder what's going on in Twitter World that is causing such a commotion? Maybe @denisleary blew the fuses. For those of you who missed it:
denisleary

  

World Cup Stat: 98% of Americans think Ronaldo is a clown who works at the Madrid McDonald's. 
Saturday, June 12, 2010 6:54:12 PM via web

No More Tomorrows

Tribune Media Services announced that on June 13 they will cease syndication of Little Orphan Annie. The old gal had an 85 year run and a dress that never got wrinkled or dirty. We will miss you kid. Arf!

Legion d'Honneur Award to Charlie Rose

(Click on image to read Proust Questionnaire)

For me Charlie Rose is the perfect man. I love him, admire him, want to emulate him and even can chuckle with him. If my reach was higher I would place him on a pedestal.

Taking some off

Sunset at Makena - Photo by Mark Pick

I am going to take a little time off from regular blog postings and get back to focusing on my real writing. I may post one or two a month when the whim strikes me, so just think of me walking along this lovely beach at sunset with a Mai Tai in my hand. I should be there for real in July.

If your birthday or other milestone event occurs during my little hiatus know that you are thought of and wished the very best. I'm not Closed for Business but will be keeping very loose open hours, so if you are in desperate need of a cup of coffee maybe you should try the Starbucks down the street and just around the corner.

Oh, yes, the answer to the little quiz. My daughter was talking about jazz great Dave Brubeck. And on that note I will take five.