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