By Vin Maskell
First comes sport. Later on comes sex and love.
Songwriter Paul Kelly, paraphrased from The Age, April 24, 2004
The first ball of the first Test
The first rays of the summer sun
The first stroke of the willow bat
The first run
The first bounce of the first ball
The first serve of the first set
The first swing of the first club
The first rush of the first blood
The first punch of the first round
The first ball of the first Test
The first glare of the sun
In your childhood eyes
The first sand of the beach
Between your toes
The first rise of the first wave
The first plunge into deeper water
The first ball of the first Test
The first pounding of a lusting heart
The first touch of a nervous hand
The first caress of soft skin
The first lips of a first kiss
The first ball of the first Test
The first bruise of the first pain
The first fall of bitter rain
The first bite of the first apple
The first spark of the first fire
The first drop of the first flood
The first ball of the first Test
The first cry of the new-born baby
The first step of the adventurous toddler
The first touch of the first ball
The first word of the eloquent child
The first joys of the loving parent
The first ball of the first Test
The first rays of the summer sun
The first stroke of the willow bat
The first run
*The extract from the 2004 Paul Kelly interview is:
Can you remember your first football?
A new football is so beautiful and so sad. Children know this.When you first touch it you know it will never feel the same again. Later on comes sex and love.
About Vin Maskell
Founder and editor of Stereo Stories, a partner site of The Footy Almanac. Likes a gentle kick of the footy on a Sunday morning, when his back's not playing up. Been known to take a more than keen interest in scoreboards - the older the better.
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Vin, I loved the rhyming couplet with the first bruise of the first pain and the first fall of bitter rain. They fit together so elegantly.
Have you approached PK for a melody?
Great stuff Vin. Got me even more fired up for Thursday. You had me at Paul Kelly.
…lusting heart…nervous hand…soft skin…first kiss…first Test…
That’s what I call a build-up, Vin.
Paul Kelly’s memoir is full of reminiscence about arriving in overseas hotels in the 80’s and 90’s to be greeted with reams of welcome faxes from our own John Kingsmill. Updates on the fate of his beloved Norwood Redlegs and (I think) the Crows.
I’m sure PK is just a Knackery lurker these days in this mobile internet era.
I always love the Jock McHale gaberdeen overcoat and fedora hat when he coaches the Reclink Cup
Brilliant, vin.
In high school I’d smuggle my radio & earphones into class to listen to the first ball of the first Test each summer. It became a tradition.
The fire and flood messages are powerful.
Thanks.
Thanks Vin. I was reminded of one of my favourite Paul Kelly songs, Deeper Water, and its evocation of life’s happy and sad milestones. I really like
The first bruise of the first pain
The first fall of bitter rain
Great stuff!
Beautiful, Vin.
Thanks everyone. Much appreciated. I haven’t written poetry for about 20 years and then along comes The first ball. Paul Kelly’s Deeper Water was very much in mind, which is why I included the line ‘The first plunge into deeper water’. Kelly’s songs about summer are up there with other depictions of the season: Max Dupain’s photos of Newport Beach in Sydney and Russell Drysdale’s (?) outback pub cricket painting.