Gridiron Girls

by Catherine Giordano

Someimes I write a news print poem that just begs to be rewritten without the restrictions of the form.  You can read the original Gridiron Girls and compare it to my rewrite.


Gridiron Girls

Girls are sugar and spice and everything nice?
Girls are all frilly and pink?
Girls are all dainty and sweet?
Forget the stereotypical image.
Meet the Gridiron Girls!

These girls don’t care what you think.

These girls love the punishing pursuit of football—
Tackle football.

These girls love blood-stained uniforms.
They love the dirt, the sweat, the spit,
the feel of their muscles, flexing, contracting, pulsating.

These girls give it their all.
These girls love it all.

These girls are women,
women who have the gall
to play the gridiron sport
in an all-women’s league
crossing the line of scrimmage.

Oh the horror; the unspeakable horror.

Why on earth would women want to play tackle football?
Why on earth would men want to play tackle football?

They enjoy it.

Let your little girls play tackle football,
and when they are women, they will be unbreakable.

© 2012 Catherine Giordano

The picture is meant as an ironic comment on the poem.

 Please share  by tweeting, "liking" , and "+1 ing." 

Please "follow" so you don't miss any of my posts.