Menolyrical; Final Friday Fiction

Welcome, dear readers, to the close of another month and the writing invention that brings. 

Way back at the beginning of the century (golly, one can talk historically even within one's own lifetime because an entire generation has arisen since then...), there was a major, global event that took place in my home city of Sydney.  There was a wonderful atmosphere - but it was not economically sound. It is such a momentous thing; it only takes place once every four years. Unless there's a delay...

If you can stand it, I took to recording. (That's the link in case the player doesn't work here for you.) I tried three different audio versions but none would load - so you're faced with my face... 😶 

It might be better with headphones - or left unplayed.

It's combat, but the friendly kind

or so they keep trying to sell

From the Americas, north and south

to Africa dark through Europe via

Oceanic islands and the Asiatic swell

It's combat, but not as we think it

the only weapon is prowess

showing just how fast, how high, how strong

even the guns, the arrows, the epee

and foil are brandished in staged togetherness

It's combat... the commercial kind

at least that's the marketing tag

on the backs and arms and legs and lungs

of the soldiers no, athletes, their nations

gather-in whatever they can from the available swag

It's combat, the political sort

couched in diplomatic bunting

the pawns no, athletes only focus

is to attain their personal best

the lure of precious metal keeps them hunting

It's combat, by all its contest names

can we really envision whether

the value is of benefit to all 

true to the Olympic siren call...

Faster, Higher, Stronger - and all in it Together

It's combat and draws in many threads

from the fabric of society

a kind of magic tapestry appears

bringing forth surprising joy and tears

or moments of empathetic sobriety

It's combat, and like all fields of clash

there are deep and darkly issues

but is there anything else that's truly global

with fifty sports and two-oh-five nations

plus one - refugee successes requiring tissues

It's combat for sixteen plus two days

flags raised, the competition rages

minnow states make their mark, knock the elite

as the world watches, gets so immersed

for a while, forget their hunger or need of wages

It's combat, by any other name

even twenty-one remains twenty

won't be stopped by pandemic or protest

for these are The Games, times of unity

there must be triumph having spent plenty

It's combat; the teams keen to gather

flags and uniforms displayed with pride

all said and done, never mind wheels and deals

it's about them, the warriors, no athletes

and for us - supporting, together, no matter the side.

© Yamini Ali MacLean July 2021

Apart from war, nothing storms the mind so much as national sports rivalry. It stirs patriotism, ostentation and even hysteria. Sports participants are given the status of superheroes. Yet questions arise as to how much money is squandered - by governments and private enterprises on global events such as these. There may be an argument for the IOC getting a big shakeup - it needs to come into the 21st century as much as its motto does. Countries need to be better served to not have to go into a spiral of debt (most never produced a positive economic outcome - "with the exception of Barcelona 1992, no modern Games has raised a host city’s rate of economic growth, levels of skills and employment, tourist income or productivity." D. Goldblatt, The Guardian.) Nor should the citizens of the host suffer from lessened circumstances because of them. 

As an example of the greed of the IOC, where previously the O's were mostly available in various ways for free viewing, this year their money grab, at least for European telecast rights, has extended to selling those rights to a USA company for $920m and that company will, of course, seek to fleece the viewers...

... or we sports fanatics have to go cold turkey and just read about the events we would have loved to have watched.

That there is a place for the sports themselves and galas and regattas to be organised, I have no doubt, for so much exhilaration is gained and there is some small sense of a truly global village at such times. This is important. What needs to be removed is the autocratic control and privileged expectation that currently exists. There needs to be a genuine - truly deep and meaningful - effort made to move to sustainability when hosting the events - and travelling to them. 

That's my opinion - what say you?