Did you get to watch the “Super Bowl” that was played last week?

The “Chiefs” were able to end the “Eagles” winning streak

It was all “Philadelphia” for the first two quarters

The second half, “Kansas City” got their game in order

It was quite a comeback for “K.C.”

“Patrick Mahomes” once again was voted “MVP”

They kicked the winning field goal with just eight seconds to go

During the halftime, “Rihanna” put on a spectacular show!

Her performance had the crowd there going wild

Later we got the news that she was expecting her second child

Not sure what was the biggest story of these two?

The football game or the baby news when everything was through?

So the “NFL” season is over and hockey now is front and center

This is a busy time in the “NHL” if you are really a contender

The trading deadline is in place up to March 3rd

These teams will be doing some fine tuning in hopes of winning the big award

This will continue until a team hoists the “Stanley Cup” sometime well into June

The schedule for these games will now feature more weekend games in the afternoon

I don’t really have a horse competing in this race

Unfortunately my “Blackhawks” are currently in last place

The rumours are that they are going to clean house, a real fire sale

The rebuild of this team is now in full scale

“Kane”, “Toews” and “Domi” could be playing for someone else when this deadline is  done

Who knows how many years it will be before the “Hawks” embark on another playoff run?

If this all takes place, this team will definitely go from bad to worse

Now that they have made this commitment, they must have to stay the course

These stars will be traded to get a higher pick

The official date of this deadline is coming up real quick

The last place team has the best chance of getting the first choice

If we end up  being successful we will get “Bedard” and then we shall rejoice

The plan is all in place and hopefully things will work out right

This way the future will certainly look bright

Saturday night we were losing three to one to “Ottawa” going into the third

We tied the game and won in overtime when “Athanasiou” scored

Tonight we face a good “Toronto” team at home and I never thought I’d stoop this low

For the betterment of our once storied franchise I say “GO LEAFS GO”

There always has been crooked politicians since democracy first started

It isn’t a career that should be pursued by the fainthearted

The one to occupy the seat has to be elected by their peers

That’s the way countries have operated for hundreds of years

Those selected are supposed to benefit the people who put them there

After all they are the ones responsible for putting them in that chair

Their duties are to enact the laws and decide how our tax money is being spent

The “Prime Minister” is the leader in Canada, in the States it’s “President

The legislators of these countries are held in high acclaim

In Canada you are called “Honourable” before your name

Perhaps it was something that these members started on their own

The fact that they should be held in such high regard is a little overblown

How did they achieve this title is something I have to question

Did they all vote for this while they were all in session?

When you are elected as a “Mayor”, “Your Worship” is how they are addressed

No wonder some of these politicians think they are so superior to the rest

Perhaps in days of old you could hide what happens behind the scenes

Now what is occurring in today’s world is totally obscene

Members are more concerned for themselves than the ridings that they serve

Yet we still vote them into office so we get what we deserve

It seems that people with lots of money are elected to a post

They have little regard to the ones who need help the most

The rich are getting richer while the rest of us are trying to get by

Half the “Americans” are still believers in the “Big Lie”

Down there it’s a circus and there is no end in sight

It makes me stop to wonder if they will ever get it right

Canadians are accused of becoming “Americanized” by the lifestyle of the United States

If we don’t smarten up we are doomed to a similar fate

I can already see some of our own politicians that are copying their style

A lot of our fellow “Canucks” are getting more than a little hostile

Having more than two political parties seems to benefit us here

Although I don’t appreciate the antics of our Ontario Premier

He seems to be making his own rules but so far we are keeping him in check

With every day that passes he is losing even more respect

He seems to think he has the power to put worker’s unions in their place

The way he has handled the whole situation is a total disgrace

Capping public sector workers raises to one percent is what he wants to do

He is working hard as he can in an effort to get this legislation through

To think we have to call “Doug Ford” honourable is such a shame

I can think of a few more adjectives that can be placed before his name

“Apollo 13” “Houston, we have a problem” is a line that you heard

In every “James Bond” movie “shaken not stirred”

In “Dirty Harry” we heard “Clint Eastwood” say

“Go ahead, make my day”

Then you have another famous one from “Love Story”

“Love means never having to say that you’re sorry”

“Cool Hand Luke” was a movie I always thought was great

“What we have here is a failure to communicate”

“Field of Dreams” is yet another one

“If you build it, he will come”

Sticking with this sport everyone can recall

“A League Of Their Own” “there’s no crying in baseball”

Another great line that almost everyone can quote

Appears in the movie “Jaws” “you’re gonna need a bigger boat”

“Wax on, wax off” from “Karate Kid” you should know

The spinoff “Cobra Kai” is now a hit show

“Back To The Future” had three episodes

“Where we are going, we don’t need roads”

“You can’t handle the truth” continues to last

“A Few Good Men” is from thirty years in the past

Another line I am going to cite and I am in no way sorry

“You’ll shoot your eye out, kid” from “A Christmas Story”

“I’ll have what she’s having” is another

That line from “When Harry Met Sally” said by Rob Reiner’s mother

There are so many examples, I just named a few

Here’s hoping that most of them were ones that you knew

Compared to most of my poems I am cutting this short and I know that I am

To quote “Clark Gable” in “Gone With The Wind”, “frankly, I don’t give a damn”

Christmas is now over and we have packed the tree away

We took care of this task only yesterday

The new year has officially finished its first inaugural week

My “Blackhawks” are hoping to extend their one game winning streak

The games have been hard to watch even though I am still a devoted fan

Looks like this franchise has decided to stick with their total rebuild plan

Last night they recorded just their ninth win of the season

I couldn’t get to sleep last night….could that have been the reason?

I been concentrating on watching sports sprinkled with a television series or two

I have been falling behind on both because of the snow shoveling we had to do

Fortunately we only have had to use the snow blower once this year

We have been able to keep the driveway nice and clear

Friends have highly recommended watching “Yellowstone” so we binge watched season one

We should easily catch up with the rest of them before the final episode is done

Meanwhile I only missed one game that our Canadian junior team had played

Still can’t believe all the moves that “Connor Bedard” has made

For a seventeen year old it is a major test

He passed it with flying colours on this epic quest

He led the tournament in scoring and also won MVP

The overtime goal he scored against “Slovakia” was amazing to see

He now holds the crown for Canadian hockey players in the scoring race

The former record holder “Eric Lindros” drops down to second place

“Bedard” has a five point edge and actually played five games less

This phenomenal athlete never ceases to impress

“Dylan Guenther” scored the overtime goal in Halifax for the championship which really rocked the joint

This showed how much depth this team had as “Connor Bedard” didn’t register a single point

He insisted on talking about the team when he was interviewed after the game

He hasn’t been drafted but is already a household name

This will be “Connor’s” draft year and he is destined to be first pick

When I look back at my “Hawks” record, I now don’t feel so sick

I know they are still floundering and things could possibly get worse

Do I want them to win? Yes I do of course!

There are so many rumours of “Kane” and “Toews” being shopped around

They are the last two “Stanley Cup” winners left in “Chicago” town

From what I am reading every player on this team is available for a trade

You have your choice of anyone of them if the right deal can be made

They are building for the future and draft picks are what they need

Get as many picks as you can in hopes for you to succeed

You no longer get the first pick when you finish last

This certainly was a benefit for team building in the past

The team with the least points still however have more chances to win

If we want to get this future superstar we have to go all in

Will we still end up in last place? We will have to wait and see

The best scenario is we get “Connor Bedard” the worse, we get pick number three

Last week I mentioned how surprised I was by the action at the soccer games

Okay, I should be saying “football” as that’s it’s proper name

There are so many team sports around the world that are played

For the most part, the participants in these leagues are all highly paid

Each of these games are broken up in sections so they can have a break

Some are very exciting while others are hard to stay awake

Most of these sports have a time limit as we are all aware

Some you have attended and wondered why you were there

The ones being clocked are very active and every member has a role

They all work together as a team to achieve their goal

Hockey is the only sport where substitutions are made on the fly

Football and basketball stop the clock when they have to replace a guy

So the action is mostly continuous and is exciting to view

Then we have “America’s Favourite Pastime” “baseball” which is exactly what they do

This sport eats up time and can drag out for hours

Plan to be there all day if there is a chance of showers

They have this sport divided into innings that total nine

The pitcher throws the ball to the catcher after he gives him a sign

Then once they are both ready, the batter then will step out of the box

Brushes sand over his batting gloves and still finds time to adjust his jock

So you are sitting in the stands as all of this is transpiring

This happens inning after inning which becomes a little tiring

Most of the time we are watching these two athletes playing catch

This sport is so boring that in the seventh inning, spectators all require a stretch

One umpire behind the plate to decipher if a pitch is a strike or a ball

Others on the three bases in case they have to make a call

Nine players on the field on the ready in case someone gets a hit

Hoping that they are able to retrieve this ball with their mitt

If the pitcher tosses four bad throws the batter is awarded with a walk

Then proceeds down to the first baseman where they then meet and talk

The pitcher seems to stall even more when there is a man on base

Concentrating more on the runner than the batter he has to face

This means more time is wasted as these head games are being played

As a result with this so called strategy, this game gets more delayed

The catcher will then go to the mound because he has something to say

Then the pitcher will throw to the first baseman at times to aid in a double play

This is to keep the runner from taking too big a lead and keeping him close

Then he pitches to his catcher in between all these extra throws

These are just a couple of examples, they don’t want them to score

If the teams are tied after the nine innings they have to play some more

The game isn’t over until one team has won

This could be over four hours since this game first begun

You notice at these events that the fans all seem to have a beer

This is perhaps the way this league continues year to year

My friends and I have gone to these games and couldn’t make it through

The fans all around us were all holding a brew

The athletes are earning big contracts in their chosen profession

The owners are making millions from these beer concessions

Then they have the money for every type of food they choose to cater

With every minute that is wasted the profit margin is getting greater

The more the game drags out, the more money they will make

I wish they would finally quicken up this sport so I can stay awake

I was watching our Canadian team in the “FIFA World Cup”

After watching their three matches I had pretty well given up

I understand that this is the world’s most popular sport

By viewing their games, I felt I was showing my support

They ran around the field, I guess I should say “the pitch”

My favourite sport is hockey, there is no way I will switch

Once our team was eliminated, I said I was out

I still can’t understand what this game is all about?

I must admit that it wasn’t as boring as I seemed to recall

I was really captivated by the way these athletes perform with this ball

Whether you call it football or soccer it’s the same game

The stars of this sport are world renowned and many are household names

Hell, I know quite a few and have never seen them play

The action is nonstop so they certainly earn their pay

They only have three games to prove themselves to get to the next round

You have to win all the rest if you want to be crowned

This for every team involved is such an arduous feat

No wonder there are so few nations that are able to repeat

This is the format that was implemented in the Olympic games

The way they do these championships is basically the same

So now I bring up our women’s team who had this monumental quest

Their tournament involved twenty eight teams which is only four less

They fought and won the gold at the last Olympic games

Just wondering how come the accolades don’t seem to be the same?

Our men’s FIFA team lost all three games with only two goals being scored

This nation of ours got together and everyone was on board

The team made major advances and they looked great out there

They were very competitive and didn’t seem out of place anywhere

It was valued experience for them and maybe next time we will achieve a win

Hopefully it won’t take another thirty six years for our men’s team to get back in

This is why our women’s team should garner more acclaim

They are the world champions, the best team in their game

Every member of this gold medal squad should all be well known

The popularity of the women’s soccer program certainly has grown

Some players of this team intend to keep young girls dreams alive

By starting a women’s professional  league in Canada to begin in 2025

Like I did last year and perhaps the year before

I am doing my Christmas shopping without entering a store

I request a list from my family members of what they seek

With a little bit of luck, I may be finished by the end of this week

Just have to go to the depot and they will bring it out to you

That is the procedure that some of us have chosen to do

You can also go online and arrange to get it shipped right to your front door

We think that this is so original but we all know it’s been done before

I thought to myself, is this really anything new?

This is something most of us Canadians used to do

It might seem so primitive by the standards we have today

The way that we accomplished this was in a different way

Two companies above the rest catered to us for our every need

It makes me still wonder, how come they didn’t continue to succeed

I now look at “Amazon” that is basically operating the same way

Still wondering how come these establishments aren’t operating today

If you were to think about it, they were ahead of their time

You got free delivery, no need for “Amazon Prime”

We had our Canadian company “Eaton’s” and their competition was American “Sears”

These institutions each lasted for over a hundred years

They issued out catalogs spring, summer, winter and fall

The edition dedicated to Christmas was the most cherished one of all

This was the publication that each child was eager to take a look

“Sears” cleverly marketed it as their “Wish Book”

When this arrived, you knew Christmas was getting close

Things that we hoped for were circled and some of us scribbled notes

This tradition went on every single year

Both companies went bankrupt with “Eaton’s” being the first to disappear

If you didn’t have one in your town, you could order from their book

Just calling up one of their clerks was the procedure that you took

You could place your order on any given day

In minutes it would be processed and soon be on its way

These were hired people that pleasantly placed your order

Not something that was said over a recorder

So many employees , the profit margin must have been small

This must have been the major reason for both of them to fall

“Jeff Bezos” is a multi billionaire and is performing the same task

So how come he is so successful, one might venture to ask?

Nowadays we order online and don’t require a clerk

This is now how most of these companies are designed to work

The timing he had is his claim to fame

Being it was the computer age, that’s why he’s a household name

If it happened a couple of decades earlier, “Sears” and “Eaton’s” would still thrive

This would mean that “Bezos” would still be selling books, trying to survive

I finally got around to starting this poem late on a Saturday night

It’s seems like I’m always waiting to the last minute before I decide to write

I want to finish this before tomorrow so I can be free

This way it won’t interfere with the two football games I want to see

My Bills play at one o’clock and we are attending a parade in town in the afternoon

It shouldn’t interfere with my plans because it is supposed to start at noon

I do have the luxury of putting this channel on pause

This would buy me an extra hour after waving goodbye to Santa Claus

This should give me enough time after this parade is done

Besides getting out to enjoy this event is a lot of fun

The weather is supposed to be chilly, so who knows how long we’ll stay

We will endure the cold as best we can and then be on our way

The “Grey Cup” game starts at six o’clock and there is a halftime show

There are three acts that are performing, perhaps someone you know

The “Bombers” and the “Argos” are the teams that you will see

Winnipeg has won it the last two years and could win number three

Sixteen lines of this poem is all I accomplished last night

Now it’s Sunday morning and I am sitting in the daylight

I lost what little focus I had in the middle of this rhyme

Now I am down to three hours before the parade time

We did get the snow and now the driveway has to be done

Outside it is cold but there is a nice bright sun

The snow looks like it is light but there certainly is a pile

I will get out to clear it all in just a little while

The neighbourhood is quiet , still no one has ventured out

Usually at this time of day, I have already completed my daily route

My objective this morning is to clear the way

So most likely I won’t have the time to walk the dog today

He will get plenty of exercise while we are shoveling snow

By chasing every scoopful that we have to throw

He loves to lay in wait below the porch as we toss it away

Getting a face full of snow is a game he likes to play

He’ll be barking most of the time while we gather it up

He has been playing like this since he was a pup

This is the first of many snowfalls that will come our way

Unlike a couple of weeks ago, this snow is here to stay

So I will do the shoveling and the dog will do his run

It shouldn’t take all that long to get this job done

So in order to try to achieve everything I want to do today

I can say I’m done this poem and then I’ll be on my way

Anyone who knows me is aware that I’m not a “Maple Leafs” fan by any means

However, what I witnessed before Saturday’s game was a touching scene

The first European to play hockey in the NHL

Has been diagnosed with “ALS” and isn’t doing well

He played for “Toronto” a total of sixteen years

His seventeenth was with “Detroit” and then he ended his North American career

He played another three years in “Sweden” over there

The fact he has this affliction all seems so unfair

They interviewed “Darryl Sittler” on this broadcast and he was an emotional guy

He spoke proudly of his former teammate while wiping the tears from his eyes

He was unable to get his last sentence out before they broke away

He showed so much passion on every word that he had to say

They then premiered a video of “Salming” in his prime

He is the best “Toronto” defenseman of all time

Once the reel was finished, they showed him and his family on our screen

Seeing them all there together was such a touching scene

They then panned the “Scotiabank” arena and you could see some fans in shock

His malady has advanced to the point that he is unable to talk

There was heartfelt applause by each and every fan

It was a thunderous ovation for this cherished man

His wife and daughter stood on either side of him and each had an arm they clutched

You could tell by “Borje’s” body language that he was really touched

Covering his mouth with his hand was his immediate reaction

Obviously over these many years he hasn’t lost any of his attraction

“Eric Nylander” and “Oliver Ekman-Larson” faced off at center ice

Both players hale from “Sweden” which was something nice

Borje dropped the ceremonial puck between his fellow countrymen

The tribute to this hockey hero didn’t stop then

“Toronto’s” starting lineup consisted of six “Swedes” including the man in goal

This truly emphasized this man’s major role

He is the one who led the way for these players to play this game

This is just another example of his claim to fame

This team showed a lot of class in honouring their star

As far as an organization, they really raised the bar

In turn they brought “Lou Gehrig’s Disease” into the public’s light

We are wishing Borje all the best in his epic fight

NOVEMBER 11^TH

IT’S ON THE ELEVENTH DAY OF THE ELEVENTH MONTH EVERY YEAR

A TIME TO REMEMBER WHEN WE ONCE LIVED IN FEAR

A TIME WHEN PEACE ON THE PLANET WAS PUT TO A TEST

WHEN EVIL RULED AND THERE WAS COMPLETE UNREST

THIS WAS A TIME WHEN MEN AND WOMEN FOUGHT THE FIGHT

THROUGH EVERY DAY AND EVERY NIGHT

THEIR LIVES WERE DEVASTATED AND MANY LIVES WERE LOST

ALL FOR PEACE AT A HORRIFIC COST

PEOPLE FROM OUR COUNTRY WHO CHOSE TO DEFEND

OUR RIGHT TO PEACE, UNWILLING TO BEND

NOT GIVING IN TO THE EVIL THAT WAS ALL CONSUMING AT THE TIME

A TYRANT THAT WAS KILLING WITHOUT REASON OR RHYME

THESE PEOPLE LEFT THEIR SAFE HOMELAND TO BATTLE THIS FOE

THEY ENLISTED BY THE THOUSANDS AS YOU AND I KNOW

TO STAND UP FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE WAS THEIR GOAL

THEY WERE PROUD TO BE SOLDIERS:  THEY CHOSE THIS ROLE

THEY LANDED IN EUROPE TO MAKE THEIR STAND

DETERMINED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THIS FOREIGN LAND

THEY WERE WELCOMED BY THESE PEOPLE WHEN THEY ARRIVED

WITHOUT THESE BRAVE SOLDIERS NO ONE WOULD HAVE SURVIVED

THEIR GOAL WAS TO END THIS GERMAN KILLING MACHINE

WHO WERE LED BY HITLER, A TERROR TRULY OBSCENE

MEMBERS OF THE JEWISH FAITH WERE THE PEOPLE HE CHOSE TO SLAY

THE GAS CHAMBERS HE USED FOR THESE ACTS REMAIN UNTIL THIS DAY

IT WAS DURING WORLD WAR II WHERE THESE PEOPLE WOULD FALL

THE WAR THAT PRECEDED THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO END THEM ALL

WORLD WAR ONE IS SAID TO HAVE DEFINED CANADA AS A NATION

THANKS TO OUR BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN’S PARTICIPATION

WE FOUGHT SO MANY WARS OVER THE YEARS

LOST SO MANY LIVES, SHED SO MANY TEARS

CANADA WAS AN INFANT WHEN WORLD WAR ONE BEGAN

WE HAVE BATTLED IN EUROPE, KOREA AND AFGHANISTAN

WE HAVE SOLDIERS BEING SACRIFICED IN THIS MODERN AGE

TO PRESERVE THE PEACE THAT OUR NATION HAS CHOSEN TO WAGE

CANADA HAS GROWN AS A NATION, WE’LL MAINTAIN OUR STANCE

OUR PAST HEROES ARE WORSHIPPED IN EUROPE: REVERED IN FRANCE

THE MAJORITY OF US HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE: NEVER EXPERIENCED WAR

SOME THINK IT AS HORRIBLE AND JUST CHOOSE TO IGNORE

NOVEMBER 11^TH  IS THE DATE WE HAVE CHOSEN TO SHARE

TO SHOW OUR ARMED FORCES THAT OUR NATION DOES TRULY CARE

WE JUST CAN’T BE APATHETIC AND NOT HONOUR THIS DATE

FOR ALL THE MEN AND WOMEN THAT REACHED THEIR GRIM FATE

TWO MINUTES OF SILENCE SEEMS SO LITTLE A TASK

FOR ALL THAT THEY SACRIFICED:  IS IT TOO MUCH TO ASK?