I had to share this one. I wrote it during the soccer World Cup tournament. My boyfriend watched every game he possibly could. We watched games together when he was here. We watched games together when we were on FaceTime video calls. It made me think about the joke of “sports widow.” Maybe it’s not a joke and some people really feel it. I was joking when I wrote this poem as a humorous reaction to his soccer watching.

In all honestly, I learned a lot and ended up enjoying the game. Full disclosure, now that it’s football season he’s watching as may games as he can, both college and pro. Gotta love his sports ’cause I surely love him.

As for the structure, each stanza in a strict 5-7-5 haiku. Yeah, artificial constraints, but sometimes I like to work with a challenge.

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World Cup Widow

Waiting for a call,
but he is watching a game—
grown men playing ball

on a football pitch.
Looking at my phone, he will
text when the game is

done. Yet another
ball kicked hard into a net.
is it a goal or

are they offside? He
waits with anticipation.
I wait in silence

for a word or two.
Penalty kicks for a foul,
yellow card warnings,

red card and out. So,
why do I resent twenty-
two men and a ball?

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