'Twas the night before football, when all through my dwelling,
Every creature was stirring, and our chaos was swelling,
Spiritwear laid out on the dressers with care,
Game dinner all packed with little time to spare.
The child wasn’t nestled all snug in his bed,
He was playing with toys, my patience hung by a thread,
Husband in his iPad, and I in my map,
“Which stadium, again, am I supposed to be at?”
Next day arrives, I drive, park and trek in,
My kid knows it’s game time with his big toothy grin.
Wave and hug the staff and their wives,
Greet the players and students with fist bumps and high fives.
March in with the band, truly nothing compares,
Come into the stadium, and get up the stairs,
Cheer on the players, as they take the pitch,
The alma mater gets sung without a single hitch.
My husband, stands committed, eyes full of pride,
Is ready to take his band on this ride,
Each week they show up, hearts full, and hands steady,
For as half time crept up, they knew they were ready.
"Now, TRUMPETS! now, CYMBALS! now, TROMBONE and DRUMS!
We’ve been practicing all week! Now let’s watch what comes!
Go down to the sidelines! To the edge of the field!
This massive crowd will now see what our effort yields!”
As the band marches onward, you can see why they’re here,
They’re supporting their school, for another great year.
Their unbreakable spirit, their dedication is true,
It takes heart, not just effort, to do what they do.
The show starts up slowly, and for seven minutes they move,
This is their moment, they’ve found their groove.
For each note written, for each movement done,
They aren’t 300, they’ve turned into one.
The final note rings out, and half time is complete
The performance is solid, the crowd’s on their feet!
The fight song takes them out, and their hardwork is done
The excitement’s not over! The football has begun!
There’s a moment, I have, when I catch my husband’s gaze,
So proud he is, a reward, for how he spends his days.
It’s but just a moment, you could miss in a blink.
But I love when I know just what his mind thinks.
We get back to the stands, cheering on our team more,
Playing for them, as they run, block and score.
The final touchdown taken, we win or we lose,
The school comes together, into one voice we fuse.
Load up on the buses, it’s time to head back,
I stop for our tacos, our traditional game snack,
As we roll in, the kiddo finally passed out,
The band’s in a frenzy, whirling about.
We wave goodbye as they all leave and make merry
Lock up the door, our dreaming toddler I carry,
There’s a humble silence as we’re the last ones to go,
God’s right there with us, we feel it and know.
We arrive home, tired, unpack and then
To think, that next week, we’ll do it again.
In a world full of wrongs, we’ve added a few rights,
GOOD LUCK TO US ALL, AMEN FRIDAY NIGHTS!