“A boy, just
beginning...25 years of age...baggy green number 408.”
“His
father’s best mate...son, brother, fighter, friend...inspiration.”
“Phillip
Hughes, forever rest in peace, son.”
I have time for you, Mr Benaud
I have acres of time for you, Mr
Benaud
It’s taken me half your life to know
that
It’s taken me all my life to know
that
It’s taken your life
And it’s taken your death
For me to know
It’s time to slow down
Wait at the kerb of a sentence
Wait mid sentence
Wait
Just like that
Like this
Drop words like teardrops
Drop words like teardrops
Like they’re hardwired to the heart
Hold words back like tears
Hold words back like tears
Like they’re hardwired to the mind
Like they’re meant to be.
Oh, you, Cohen of cricket,
Oh, you, Cohen of cricket,
On your knees, serenading us
With a twinkle in that eye of blue
With a twinkle served with that
Sydney sky of blue
Crisp as cotton, ironed and creased
Crisp as the cover drive, ironed and
teased
Just about there, just about there
A prod, a push, a fable, all timing
Never a nick, nor an edge, all timing
“Simply superb”
Through the 80s and the 90s
At 5:30 in the AM
Through the haze of bleary childhood
sleep
I hear ya, Mr Benaud
“Morning everyone”
And I wake up
To the bikinis on the banks
And the landscape of your chosen
words
And the cricket they served me in
courses.
Now I’m quite sure you knew of
Tony Greig and yourself
Sharing
In addition to the Channel 9 box
A birthday
You may even have known
Of Morne Morkel being an October 6
born
But how could you know
It was the four of us all along?
Two down, two to go.
This is the death
This is the death of a gentleman
This is the death
This is the death of Test cricket’s
man
This is the death
This is the death of Kerry Packer’s
man
This is the death
This is the death of the cricket man
The is the death
This is the death of the voice man
This is the death
Of someone who was seldom not his own
man
This is the death
This is the death of a gentleman
A gentleman,
just finishing, 84 years of age...baggy green number 190
Bill’s best
mate...father, husband, fighter, friend....inspiration
Richie
Benaud, forever rest in peace, sir.
If you strain your ears some
You’ll hear him call
“That’s Stumps.”
Hat
tip – Death of a Gentleman is the title of a film by Sampson Collins, Jarrod
Kimber and Johnny Blank.
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