Mark Pirie's World Cup poem

This week I was excited by the World Cup opening. It's a sign of the importance of cricket to newer Test nations like Bangladesh. Well done Bangladesh. Let's hope for an inspiring World Cup with some good cricket played by all 14 teams. Here's a poem I wrote about the opening ceremony:

MARK PIRIE

World Cup Opening

The world cup came to Dhaka

and received a surprise: this is where

passion and soul meets cricket.

25,000 seated fans inside the stadium

enjoyed the ceremony but out on

the streets, locals partied with vuvuzelas,

chanting, waving, and beating drums, and

journos mused that what was occurring

was something they’d not experience before:

laser shows, an abseiling cricket match,

Bollywood music and Bryan Adams,

dancer, singers, local legends and more.

Then one by one, 14 captains arrived

in decorative rickshaws and applause

thundered for the Bangladesh skipper.

The world cup had come to Dhaka

and received a surprise: this is where

passion and soul meets cricket.

Poem © Mark Pirie 2011