Fan’s corner

Rafa, Our Champion

Rafa, our Champion, brave strong and smart
Some say his tennis is a work of art.
The strategically placed forehand, the lethal backhand
Make the most formidable force throughout all the land.

He lines his bottles neatly in a row
Then sprints to the baseline, ready to go.
His opponent already feels scared and small
As he is facing Rafa Nadal, the greatest of them all.

As point after point is won by Nadal
In a frenzy of shots thought amazing by all,
Toni remains impassive, his face betrays nothing,
But he is secretly pleased that his nephew is winning =P

Then Rafa stumbles, the scariest moment
He calls for his trainer, looking concerned.
His knee needs some treatment, but before long is fine
His opponent realises there is no longer much time.

Rafa now hits a flurry of winners
His rival’s hope is getting thinner and thinner.
Finally, as it comes to match point
We want Rafa to win, and he doesn’t disappoint.

The victory is won, Rafa collapses to the ground.
To my ears, the cheers are the sweetest sound.
His opponent shakes his head, he knows what the match was worth -
He just faced Rafa Nadal, the greatest player on Earth.

Rafa’s signature move, the bite of the trophy
The pride is evident on the face of Uncle Toni.
The humble victor, so gracious and full of praise for those he plays
Our Rafa is a Champion, in so many ways.
By EJay6

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Poem about Rafa

Because you’re in the public eye,
as fans we feel we know you,
reading everything you say,
all the details about your play,
The more we know
The more we love
You’re the one we’re dreaming of.
It’s not because you’re famous,
It’s not because you’re rich,
I’d still feel just the same
if you worked for highway maintenence and had to dig a ditch!
If I’d got to know you
working in the local shop
I’d be mesmirised by your beauty
my jaw – it would still drop!
The reason that we love you
Is for the person that you are
kind and considerate, loving and giving,
a man with good morals who works hard for a living,
A man who wants to improve the world
A man with a vision to make dreams unfold
A man full of goodness, overflowing with love
who makes people happy, he’s been sent from above,
Childlike yet mature, Young but wise,
the ability to see through others eyes,
Full of empathy, your feelings are deep,
You care for others, your understanding’s unique.
Each fan that loves you feels just the same
and it’s nothing to do with your money or fame.
goldenseal

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The Conqueror

As the suspense grows, the court awaits
The appearance soon of one of the greats
Of this man, they are all so proud
And show it with the roar of the crowd

He walks in with his bag and waves to the fans
Who scream their support from up in the stands
He goes to his bench to get his things ready
His heart is pumping, but he is focused and steady

He starts to play with a force that’s well known
And a determination that very few will ever own
His opponent, he fights and plays with his all
For he knows, he is facing the fearless Nadal

As Rafa wins game after game with his brute force and speed
His opponent sees why Rafa is the number one seed
His forehands and his backhands are a formidable menace
And his crosscourt winners are the best known in tennis

He sees Rafa’s eyes, so focused, sharp and so sure
And wonders how much more of this can he endure
His confidence sagging and his legs not much stronger
He knows Rafa will win and it won’t take much longer

Rafa feels it, the match soon within his grasp
The trophy his alone, soon for him to clasp
He serves for the win and patiently volleys along
Then watches as his opponents ball sails long

He collapses to the ground, as if in disbelief
And in the stands, Uncle Toni sighs in relief
The crowd cheers what this young man has done
As he comes to his feet, his bandanna undone

He walks to the net and his opponent shakes hands
As the fans chant “Rafa” from their seats in the stands
And as Rafa says “Thank you for the great game”
His opponent can only say to Rafa, exactly the same

Rafa accepts his trophy and holds it up high
His hard work has paid off as he tries not to cry
Rafa turns to the crowd, his job for the day, done
And releases a smile as bright as the sun!

juljo724

 

	This is the second poem I have written. The title says it all! A Role Model For All We’ve come to cheer our man Rafa Showing our love and support Our hearts bursting with pride Of a young man that’s come so far Tennis’s brightest starHe fights for each point as if it’s his last He never gives up, never abandons hope Stretching his body to it’s limit But in the end, the game is done And our hero was not the one who wonOur hearts cry out for Rafa Tears are shed in the moment We watch him walk away, his tour is over Our grief we share with our friends But our love for him never endsHe remains positive and upbeat as he says You walk on the court and know that day One must win and one must lose He gave it his all, no excuses he gives Just praise for the man whose tour hope livesHis compassion on display, his integrity intact His sportsmanship first-rate for all to see His love of his family and tennis in view He walks away, proud and tall Rafa Nadal, a role model for all

juljo724

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When Palmy put out the call for stories, articles or poems for this blog, I began to think about poems I have written in the past and have not published.  My thoughts landed on one particular poem that captures a hypothetical perspective; perhaps Rafa has these kinds of thoughts, perhaps he doesn’t.  In any case, the poem is told from the point of view of Rafa.

This poem is my ode to the “Home” that raised and nurtured Rafael Nadal.

~Amy

© 2007 Amy J. Bates

Home

Cool tiles soothe my hot, swollen feet;
cracked clay tiles, some
uneven, broken, rough.
I know where the broken ones are
like I know the way the air smells
in the morning before I train:
Fresh, new, alive.
Waiting for me.
I know every corner,
every room,
every court.
I know which showers don’t work,
where to stand to get the cross-ventilation
and I know that the soda machine will eat my money
offering nothing in return.
I know how the clay crackles under my feet
as I take to the court
as I slide over it
as I make it mine
as I gently rake over it at the end
making it new again,
offering up gratitude
for the partnership.
I know the satisfying fatigue of a successful training
the pain of pushing through injury
and the frustration of an off day.
I sit in the same chair
in the same hallway
and see the same faces.
I hear the same noises that I live in my sleep:
Whack! Thump.
Whack!  Thump.
Whack!  Thump.
I see the same sights
day in, day out:
The dusty red clay of the earth
on the courts
on my socks
and on my blistered hands.
And sometimes, in the tiled hallway,
tennis ball fuzz ambling past on the breeze catches my eye as I sit
and contemplate how to improve.
Always I must improve.
But the determined ball of green fuzz
distracts and makes me smile.
I wonder how it came to be
and where it is going.
A sharp wind carries it away suddenly
and delivers it to Court 3,
My court.
It comes to rest on the clay
until another breeze will lift it away again.
I smile to myself still -
I know I am like that tiny ball of fuzz:
Determined and with direction of flight
I fight
Out there
Though my gentle heart
In here
Draws me back always
To this place:
My Home.