without mcdavid
the oilers would be mess
i mean they still are a mess
but without hockey’s prince of peace they would be
an even bigger mess
a bunch of tires on fire
today is the messiah’s birthday
i celebrate by laying in bed wearing two pairs of pants drinking coffee while watching esa tikkanen highlights on youtube
nothing really out of the ordinary
aside from the tickling emotional sensation that one feels
on the birth of a good shepherd
sent to relieve oilers fans of the managerial sins of
lowetambellinimctavishchiarelli
when down such a rabbit hole of jubilant observation
i often forget to feed myself
maybe i’ll slip on
a third pair of pants
and walk to get a donair
i have an important
floor hockey game tonight
and i must be well stocked on
pitameatpickleonionsauce
in order to optimize my talents
as a generational centreperson
for the top team in the recreational co-ed division of the edmonton sport and social club
once i was warming up
with stick and ball
when a young child
of an opponent came up to me
and asked, ‘are you connor?’
to which i responded, ‘no’
and then he scurried away
and i continued to make poetry
with shaft and blade
he then came back
and said, ‘i just have to make sure,
are you sure you’re not connor?’
and i said, ‘yes, i am sure’
he scurried away again
and left me wondering if it was my body composition that peaked the young child’s interest
or if it was my skills that reminded
him of our hockey hero
and now as i reflect today
i give thanks to the
rink boards and flavors
of our connor
who hallowed be thy game
of mysticism and ice
somehow brought two souls together at the boyle street plaza
months and months ago
happy birthday connor
may you forever fly within our hearts
and may you stay forever handsome