Snooker Poetry
Poet and snooker enthusiast John Mole was inspired to write this villanelle after a trip to the Dafabet Masters this week…
A VILLANELLE FOR JV
So much on the table is what it appears,
The cannon, the safety, the cue ball’s swerve,
But it’s also what goes on between the ears.
John Mole
The well-aimed break-off, the cluster that clears
At the touch of a surgeon who holds his nerve,
So much on the table is what it appears
Although the best players, as the final frame nears,
Will know that getting the win they deserve
Will be down to what’s gone on between their ears.
Success sets the seal on many careers
But failure can be a steep learning curve.
So much on the table is what it appears.
Precision of aim, the quick change of gears,
The planning, the patience, the skills in reserve,
All depend on what happens between the ears
For snooker’s a mind game of gains and arrears
Played with intensity, spirit, and verve.
So much on the table is what it appears
Thanks to what goes on between the ears!