Canuck'd

The darkness was absolute…

Everywhere he looked the shadows were bear-shaped…

No wind…

No birdsong…

Just the crackle of the fire and the thud of his heart…

The Forest itself was holding its breath…

— in Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver

For anyone who has given birth,

at home,

without any pain suppression,

you’ll remember how,

just moments after,

you’ve used every bit of force,

not known to man,

to produce a baby,

the midwife has the gall to say,

Now comes the third stage of labour,

when its time to push out the placenta…

The closest comparison,

that comes to mind,

is just winning the President’s trophy,

and every other league contest,

in the book,

like no other team before yours,

and now,

the almighty father,

declares,

there’s effing more to do…

Luckily,

the delivery of a placenta,

like the remaining games,

of the regular season,

only takes a cough or four,

and voila,

its tough to recall,

what the fuss,

was all about…

Now mustering up,

for the post-season stretch,

must be in line,

with a mother,

birthing twins…

Once the first baby is out,

what’s one more,

when a sweat’s,

been broken,

and the race is on,

from a media point of view…

Last night,

over pork tenderloin medallions,

in mushroom cream sauce,

Little Gem wanted to know,

if I’d be following Raffi,

with my unconditional support,

once his contract is up…

I said,

If things go my way,

there’ll be no need for that…

I’m campaigning,

for number 13,

to become a permanent fixture,

on the Canuck’s roster…

When a player’s,

brought on board,

for his sand-paper,

and grit,

he’s in a conundrum,

once new rules,

are enforced,

and he sees the major part,

of his role,

becoming obsolete…

I recently received some feedback,

from a school district,

that there was concern,

seeing as I’d been out of the classroom,

for four years,

that I wouldn’t be familiar,

with current practice…

I found that interesting,

given that what I was doing

with children,

four years ago,

is something that administration,

will be struggling,

to wrap its head,

around,

ten years from now…

But I dropped the argument,

to make a hat trick,

with free will,

because when one’s been called,

to something as big as,

the cosmic genius,

it takes to win,

a Stanley Cup,

in the new NHL,

there are choices to be made…

And one choice,

may be,

to pull out,

saucer passes,

with your eyes closed,

when everyone,

is expecting,

a pair of rabbits,

or die trying…

I heard Raffi wondering,

what the league will be like,

two years from now,

if things continue,

the way they’re going…

By the time I get through,

seeing his eyes,

safely behind a visor,

and eliminating all hits to the heart,

the NHL we know now,

will be less a game,

of finishing checks,

hard into the boards,

when you’re not even interested,

in playing the puck,

and more a game,

of refined woodwork,

reflected,

in direct answers,

framed in the following question:

How is what I’m doing right now,

going to help my team,

go the distance,

in a way,

that no team’s gone before???

I climbed a mountain this afternoon,

because I can…

And when I got to the top,

I kicked a stranger,

off his GD cell phone,

for disturbing the peace,

and belted out a jingle,

of  internal medicine,

just loud enough,

to start an avalanche,

of fair,

and standard,

suspension assesssment,

for precedence’s sake…