The Loving Game

A quarter of a century ago
I hung the gloves up, knew I’d had enough
Of taking it and trying to dish it out,
Foxing them or slugging it toe-to-toe;
Keen youngster made the going a bit too rough;
The time had come to have my final bout.

I didn’t run to fat though, kept in shape,
And seriously took up the loving game,
Grew moony, sighed, and even tried to sing,
Looked pretty snappy in my forty-drape.
I lost more than I won, earned little fame,
Was hurt much worse than in the other ring.

from Collected Poems 1950-1993 (Robson Books Ltd, 1993), copyright Vernon Scannell 1993, used by permission of the author

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