RAVEN MACK is a mystic poet-philosopher-artist of the Greater Appalachian unorthodox tradition. He does have an amazing PATREON, but also *normal* ARTIST WEBSITE too.

Saturday, June 30

World Cup Tanka: GROUP H FINALE (Matches 45 & 46)


my Colombian 
friend was wearing brand new 
blue kit this morning 

she's so sweet and excited, 
but at work - both of us are 

I couldn't tell her 
my love of Senegal's team, 
or she'd yank my beard 

couldn't say how much Mane's 
post-goal prayers inspire me 

I can't even say things - 
my bad Spanish far worse than 
her broken English 

but we look forward to each 
other ev'ryday, flirting friends 

she asks me if there's 
a nueva novia, 
tugging at her ring 

she was first to notice my 
finger first being ringless 

American born 
but don't really possess that 
same psycho logic 

how did I end up at this 
desk down-low streaming World Cup? 

living in city 
which had newsworthy conflicts 
in the streets last year 

our football is concussions, 
beer, flags, and military 

the nationalism 
of World Cup, perhaps lacking 
war's prejudices 

except Russia, "whiteness", and 
Trump/Clinton dystopia 

from this group, pair of 
non-European teams will 
qualify further 

the only African and 
Asian teams possibly left 

football mimicking 
Earth's colonial stories, 
"Western culture" wins 

in America, we don't 
care, with militant anger 

sitting at my desk, 
pretending I'm productive, 
like all other days 

the facade of achieving 
self-worth through mundane time waste 

the myth that the good 
life is easily attained, 
just put in the work 

while an oligarchic Earth 
sits in luxury boxes 

my Colombian 
friend passionately streams 
the match while working 

serving coffee to gringos; 
my desktop full of spreadsheets 

it all still adds up 
to nothing, listening to 
dull Fox announcers 

passionless exercise through 
the only today ever 

matches themselves were 
wild finish, with anyone's 
goal changing finish 

Japan and Senegal down 
to yellow card tiebreaker 

Fair Play points - as if 
meritocracy was real; 
but it never was 

Africa's final entrant, 
eliminated by cards 

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