"A Faithful Snapshot"

How ancient
And old fashioned 
You look.
The way things were
In the Sixties.
Even before my time
Soon though...
I am to be old-fashioned too.
Already at football
I am the dinosaur
Barely half a century old.
As for religion...
Mine is football
My 'God' is Edgar Kail
Though shalt not
Worship false gods.
But he was real.
Four hundred and twenty seven goals
Spanning fourteen seasons
Tells you all you need to know.
It's the words of your gods
That I don't really like.
I am man of my god enough
To hold my hands up
And admit
Some of the work you have done
In the name of your top bloke
Ain't all bad.
Bringing communities together
Looking after the poor
Be it day trips to the seaside
Or Quiz nights in the Church Hall
Isn't to be sniffed at.
But then neither is
That smelly incense
Which really does pen & ink.
Going to mass
It ruins everything.
I think I'll stick to the football.

Dulwich Poet 20th August 2018

(There was an outdoor exhibition of photos from the Sixties, on some boards in the grounds of Southwark Cathedral. After looking at them this is what I scribbled down.)