Night blazes like Day

Our heroes are expected back
any time now, any minute
we are waiting
those of us who went with them to Stuttgart
ailed with them, fought and prevailed with them
Soared with them on to a glorious 3:1;
those of us who stayed home
watched and worried
and finally were
the first to carry the news to the city:
Mainz 05 will play Europa League!






Now, our heroes are expected back
any minute the big, red-and-white bus
will swing round the corner
come to a standstill in the milling of fans
waving and shouting their pride.

We are wandering, watching
comparing watches

passing rumours
as dusk falls
lighting cigarettes, lifting beer bottles
beacons to call them home.





As the bus crawls in
floating on raised heads and hands
the flares light up
and the crackers rent the silence
red and golden and white
searing the eyes and tearing the night
smoke rising as from a pire
burning to ashes our fears and frustrations

night blazes like day
Mainz 05 will play Europa League!








Tumbling from fire and glory
to wine and song
we shout them on our shoulders

their way up the stairs
Schmidt and Latza
Baumgartlinger and Bell
Bungert and Bengtsson
Donati, de Blasis and Frei,
Clemens and Malli
Onisiwo, Moritz
and Karius hailing the fans
Brosinski and Curci
and Cordoba Jhon Cordoba
balmed forever in a moment of glory
framed in smoke and froth
of flying beer.













Caught in a moment of jubilation
fans and players alike
dangling from whatsapp and instagram
defying the limits of a duller tomorrow.