Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 1/24/10
Grandmaster of Lacrosse
By James A. Mack
Plastic Armour gleams at night
Reflections of an eerie light
That shrouds a sacred battlefield
Where older players will not yield
In defiance of Father Time
He stands behind restraining line
Determined still to win the day
While keeping Father Time at bay
Although the body does protest
And rebels too often, seeking rest
With stick in hand he takes his place
Determination marks his face
The whistle blows, the bodies clash
Out of the melee comes a pass
Into the crosse and towards the crease
A flash of old, a quick release
If just for that one final time
Again he was back in his prime
No gray, no creaks, a lack of pain
Yes he plays still for love of game
Like days of old, the shot careens
Past the defense, through the seams
Upper corner, right hand side
The shot was good he beams with pride
Grandmaster of Lacrosse is he
He plays the game for love you see
Forever seeking games to play
Repeating feats of yesterday
Someday he’ll have to step aside
More than a bit of him will die
But he can’t see that coming yet
For he just rattled that old net
Somehow the aches don’t hurt so much
Just for a time, he’s found his touch
And he’s delayed that awful day
When he cannot get out and play
Grandmaster of Lacrosse is he
He plays the game for love you see
He carries on, well past his prime,
To play the game, just one more time
Note: Jim Mack is a member of the Philly-based Eagles (master’s) and Grey Eagles (grandmaster’s) and has played in the World Games for the USA Patriots (supergrandmasters). This poem was written several years ago about a teammate who announced after a tournament that he had played in his last game. Mack is competing with the Eagles and Grey Eagles this weekend in the 9th Annual Florida Lacrosse Classic, an event they’ve attended every year since the tourney’s inception.
