Day 13

Written while watching England v Slovenia.

In a pub in Shoreditch

I've got a perfect view of the big screen
the beer is cheap and I can feel myself getting a tan
through the bay windows
the Polish barmaid says she likes my t-shirt
and when I realise I've forgotten my glasses
the man next to me says he has the same prescription
so lends me his spare pair
and neither of us make a Specsavers reference
because this pub is better than that.

Ashley Cole has got the ball
and is looking really lively
and the girls here don't say things like
isn't David James fit with his lovely hair
they say 'look how cleanly he's collecting the ball
and distributing it so quickly.'

At half time I'm the only one who needs a wee
and there isn't a queue at the bar
and they say all the drinks are free until full time
because it's the landlord's 50th birthday
his 25th wedding anniversary
and he bloody loves his footie
and as Gary Lineker and Alan Hansen sum up a really good first half
we all go outside
I sit on a kerb and write this
and the Polish barmaid says
'Are you the guy who's writing a poem about football
every day during the World Cup?
I keep them all in a scrap book.'

When the second half kicks off
me and the man who lent me his glasses
talk about Matthew Upson
and I say 'remember that teacher we had at Primary School?'
he says no, we only just met
and I think yeah I suppose we did.
I take advantage of another of those free beers
and you should see John Terry
crunching into those tackles

and when it gets tense towards the end
I don't bite my fingernails
because I know nothing bad could happen
in a place like this
and when the final whistle blows we all arrange to meet here
for the next game.
I've found the perfect pub to watch the football
and I'm not telling you where it is.