All over the world many young athletes have shed blood sweat and tears for many years in the hope that they will be selected to represent their countries in fields and tracks in their chosen sports .
Once every four years is when a special event occurs .
This year has come and for some they will have to overcome many great tests and trials before they can place that elite piece of history around their necks
When pride is worn in the shape of a gold medal at the Olympic games .
We often hear the phrases hero of a nation or champion of champions .
Then there are those who await their glory and for them are phrases like our day will come and we shall over come .
These statements are a significant reminders of a long struggle with their lives and their sport . The demands of constant training , diets, self sacrifice and for some a stand against racism and oppression .
But that sweet taste of victory does make up for the years of struggle .
The history books are full of names of the winning athletes who have represented their various countries in the Olympics games .
They have gone for gold and like a lucky old miner they have captured it and secured for themselves a piece of history .
There are others who gave their best and even thought they many have failed to take the gold another personal prize triumphed .
We have all seen images that have etched themselves in our minds and hearts . Powerful images of marathon runners crawling their hands and knees towards the finish line with the huge crowd urging them on to reach that finish line .
We have all seen those anguished expressions almost gouging holes in armoured plated faces .
We have seen many visions of great courage on our TV screens during the competition .
Boxers hitting the canvas almost unable to get up and stand , other who do can barely manage to throw punches . Yet that spirit of never giving up prevails . They continue to throw wild punches out of frustration in the hope that just one may land .
There are stories of heartbreak and happiness ,mixed with f tragedy and heartbreak . What a great platform for writers to make some contribution .
There are poems of virtue that await to be expressed .
There are lines that require their own legacy or personal message to remind others about a very important event .
As I looked back through the pages of history I came across some stories that rose from the page back into life .
Bill Havens an American who was to compete in the 1924 Paris Olympics as part of the rowing team . Just before he left for France Bill asked to be dropped from the team because his wife was expecting a baby and so as Bill wanted to be with his wife for the birth he sacrificed his chance to compete in the games .
His wife begged him to go , but Bill stood firm . The rowing team went to Paris without Bill and took out the gold with a very comfortable performance .
28 years later Bill received a telegram from his son Frank .The telegram said ,
" Thanks for waiting around for my birth .I'm coming home with a gold medal ."
Isn't that just fantastic ?
There is justice for those and when it comes that's when you'll hear the phrase , our day has come .
At the Helsinki games Frank Havens won the Olympic title in the Canadian singles 10,000m canoeing championship .
When it comes to Gold keeping it in the family has its own hallmark of greatness .
At the Berlin Olympics in 1936 two brothers and a sister from Britain competed . Godfrey and Ralph Brown with their sister Audrey . Godfrey won Gold in the 4x400 relay race and he also took a silver in the 400m individual race .
Audrey was a member of the team who came second in the 4x100m relay .
At the 1936 games in Berlin the winners of Gold medals were each given one year old oak seedling plants . They were presented in pots with the inscribed words ,
" Grow to the honour of victory !
Summon to further achievement !"
Let us hope for moments to inspire us and in some special way show the world we can overcome many hurdles that stand before us .
Writers in the media have a duty to leave an impression and creative writers also should be there in the thck of it all .
On this platform we poets must make a stand .
It is our calling .
So let us take up our pens and start to compose .
Here is an example I would like to offer as a starting point and I hope it may open up other avenues of though for you .
The Olympics Through world wars its kept glowing ,new challenges are throwing , Long may the memories run like a river flowing peacefully under one bridge we call The Olympics . Like a friend to the door , What a joy it is to see, Determined to watch the show,
Jason and the Argonauts into the hands of astronauts ,
the fame of the flame has come along way .
bestowing gold medals on athletes of the day .
United as one they come to compete every four years , for in some place somewhere there is the Olympics.
Like a sea on the shore ,
like a face with a smile that a champion wore so free .
Olympic history,
may the trend continue forevermore to be free.
though blood and tears may flow ,
When the dreams and Anthems of athletes are realised ,
in the spirit of the flame the world is literally baptised.
by Doctor Write
Originally Posted On Site: 2008-01-25 01:12:14
Last Login: 05.13.08
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