Big Game Poetry

The Charge of the Cardinal

Eric Lutkin, 2006

with apologies to Lord Alfred Tennyson

1.

Half a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the stadium of Death
Rode the eighty five.
"Forward, the Cardinal!"
"Charge for The Axe!" he said:
Into the stadium of Death
Rode the eighty five.

2.

"Forward, the Cardinal!"
Was there a man dismay'd?
Not tho' the players knew
Someone had blunder'd:
Their's not to make reply,
Their's not to reason why,
Their's but to Beat Cal:
Into the stadium of Death
Rode the eighty five.

3.

Lynch to right of them,
Jackson to left of them,
Longshore in front of them
Blitz'd and block'd;
Storm'd at with run and pass,
Boldly they tackled and covered,
Into the stadium of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell
Rode the eighty five.

4.

Flash'd all their defenses bare,
Flash'd as they turn'd in air,
Tackling the runners there,
Sacking a quarterback, while
All the world wonder'd:
Plunged in the Berkeley-haze
Right thro' the line they broke;
Okwo and Udofia
Reel'd from the double team
Tackle'd and sack'd.
Then they rode back, but not
Not the eighty five.

5.

Bishop to right of them,
Pimentel to left of them,
Hughes behind them
Blitz'd and block'd;
Storm'd at with twist and stunt,
While flanker and quarterback fell,
They that had fought so well
Came thro' the stadium of Death
Back from the mouth of Hell,
All that was left of them,
Left of eighty five.

6.

When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
All the world wondered.
Honor the charge they made,
Honor the Cardinal,
Noble eighty five.