Matthews As A Gospel Poem by Vihanga Perera

-(A vote of confidence for Angelo Matthews against his many uninformed critics)-

What prejudices moved people to
Call for your ban confuses me -
I, who followed your muscle-torn career
Over the whole 22-yards of it:
You, who single-handedly carried the weight of a
Tottering team, when (like cards)ten others
Around you often fell -

(No wonder, sometimes I wonder, that
That kind of carry on your muscles and tissues
A tearful story tell)

As you often stood alone like a colossus
In every aspect of the field
Rotating strike, lifting a calculated
Six or a four over a vacant corner,
Another stake for glory before we'd yield.

And when for a second time they
Called for your axe
(With the rabble calling for your blood,
Calling you a lousy runner unfit to play,
A trimmer of young talent, a
Sucker at field placing, a passenger)
Soon after the day
Afghan and the Bangaladeshi teams
Hammered us out of the park,

I want you to know, I still voted for you,
You, who bore that weight
As history's scapegoat to absolve a motley crew,
As the Christ you believe in did
Generations ago,

And rise tall you will
One day in history when you, angel, will be
Spoken of on an unbending floor.