I think I know my breadths and depths
but the steps of these incandescent souls,
those that have given their whole
to muscle memory,
contusions, cuts and late night
doubt filled miseries
just to fight themselves,
podium or not,
teaches me that what I’ve got,
we’ve got,
is just unknown

Leeds United on the attack
No sign of holding back
No matter what the score
We keep knocking on that door

Slicing through opposing lines
Creating chances many times
We really should score many more
That would bring us to the fore

Bamford bangs them in of course
Making us a formidable force
Get those shooting boots on, one and all
Let’s get past that defensive wall

Raphinha brings Brazilian magic
His silky skills are so fantastic
Kalvin runs the midfield show
Gives our team a rapid flow

Bielsa’s brain and dedication
Provides us with a firm foundation
He has us marking man for man
Keeping to the pressing plan

People hated us in the past
Now they love us, no more typecast
Strange to be so often praised
Enjoying having our profile raised

So here’s to Leeds, our beloved team
Hoping soon to be the cream
Keep going you men in white
Aiming for a future bright

Paul Butters

© PB 10\3\2021.

Bielsa’s Boys go bombing on.
Hear it, hear it,
Hear our song.

Running further than the rest,
Leeds United are the best.
Scything through the opposition,
Scoring goals our only mission.

Top flight teams are running scared,
Afraid of a team that’s uncompared:
Players drilled on “Murderball”,
Making them feel so very tall.

We’ve even a Brazilian in our team.
Bielsa buys only the cream.
Brazil themselves are doing great deeds:
They say they’re playing just like Leeds.

Shame about those missing fans,
Still busy washing their hands.
Can’t wait for that Elland Road roar
Celebrating every score.

Before too long we’ll be World Champs,
Shining bright like electric lamps.
Bamford scoring all those goals,
Shutting the mouths of Keane and Scholes.

Bielsa’s Boys go bombing on.
Hear it, hear it,
Hear our song.

Paul Butters

© PB 1\1\2021.

Okay Now Kids...
Yup... Here It Is... !!!

That Spoken Word... " ish' "...
Mister Big Virge Brings... !!!

Rhythmic... Cryptic Fit When It Flows...
To Equip Music And Notes I Quote...

With Vibes That INVITE...
Jazzy Styled Basslines...
... Hip Hop Inspired... !!!

So... NEVER Tired... !!!
Because Here It Is... !!!
Lyrical Scripts That Do BACKFLIPS... !!!!

When I Start To Twist...
My Words Like Chicks...
At The Olympics...
Doing... Gymnastics.... !!!

See Verse Like THIS...
Is That HOT SPIT... !!!!!

******* Like KINGS...
Who Spit Lyrics...
That Produce THOSE HITS... !!!!!

You Know The List...
Is Just..... TOO BIG...... !!!!!!

From Old Skool' Pros...
To Those Who GLOW With Modern Flows... !!!!!

Me... Well I GO...
Like A Poem I Wrote... !!!

DEEP Into Soul...
And HARD Drum Rolls... !!!

BELIEVE Boom Bap Befits My Raps...
Or... " Spoken Words "....
That REJECT.............. Curse... !!!!

UNLESS It Works...
Twerks' OUT of Jerks'... !!!!!
And Makes The Girls...
GYRATE Their Curves... !!!!!

Cos'... Here it is... !!!
Some Verse That Liks'...
More Than Their *****...
And... **** Bits... !!!!!

Yes... " Here It Is "...
Lyrics That Sit...
Just Like The Strings...
You Hear in This... !!!!!

See I'm Guiding The Guys...
Who Produce The Vibes...
That... Musically Ride...
Right By The Side of Verses I Rhyme...

That FEED WISE Minds...
With Words That CLIMB...

And... Touch THE SKY... !!!
When I Sit and write...
And FREE UP Lines...
That Come Daytime...
And YES At Night... !!!!

Because That's RIGHT...
I Am The Dark Knight of A Different Type...

Now That's The THIRD Time...
Within These Rhymes...

That I've Dropped Titles To My RECITALS...

That... Just Like THIS...
Are Lyrically SICK...
And Oiled To Be Slick... !!!

Check Out The Mix...
of Lyrical Tricks And Sweet Music...

Because The Truth Is THIS...

When It Comes To Lyrics...
And Music That KICKS...

You Know The Score...
We Keep It... RAW... !!!

And RESIST Gimmicks... !!!
So That What We Give...
Is... Simply THIS... !!!

Yes... AUTHENTIC... !!!!!

So Don't... Dismiss..................................
The Scripts I Flip...
Cos' When It Comes To This Thing.......

That's Called... REALNESS...
Don't Look Any Further Because.....

" Here.... It.... IS "

So Is It... " Your Dream "...
To Become MAINSTREAM... ?!?

I CANNOT Lie...
Sometimes My Mind...
Has Been Inclined...
To Visualise A Time Where I...

Could Be... " THAT GUY "... !?!

That People LOVED...
Like... “ WARM Sunshine “... !!!

But Recognised That DARKNESS Rides...
With Getting A Slice of The DEVILS' Pie... !!!!

Because MANY It Seems...
Now Seem To BELIEVE...

That ILLUMINATED Teams....
Run MAINSTREAM Scenes...

“ Know what I mean !?! “ …

So If That’s.... “ True “... ???
Mainstreamers Move...
With... “ SHADY Dudes “...
And Females TOO... !!!!!!!

“ Mainstream for two ? “

“ Nah dude, just you !
I think I’ll cool, and do my do,
for the heads who choose,
to listen to men who deal in sense,
instead of those who present,
big hype and pretence,
for dollars and cents
from, Corporate Heads “

You Can See It In Sports...
I’ve Competed With Guys...
Who’ve Received AWARDS... !!!

Been In NATIONAL Sides... !!!
And Watched And Thought...

“How are they mainstream,
when they’re clearly weak,
and aren’t better than me !?!“

But Then WAKE UP...
From My Daydreams... !!!!!

But... RECOGNISE...
That To Join The TOP FLIGHT...

Some Athletes Find....
That They Have To Compromise...
  
But That’s Alright...
The MAINSTREAM Can Bring STRESS...
And CAN... DEPRESS... !!!!!

Some Mainstream Heads....
Have Met With DEATH...
Because of Their DESIRE...
For The Mainstream To...
......... “ HIRE “.........

Their EGOS For SHOW...
And YES... BRAVADO... !!!

Because They LOVED Being KNOWN...
Wherever They’d Go... !!!

Mainstream For Me... NO... !!!

But I Want Some DOUGH... !!!
From Their Pots of Gold...

Cos' TOO MANY **’s... !!!
Have Got The HIGH Roll...
For... SELLING THEIR SOUL... !!!!!

It’s Time For TRUTH SAYERS...
To Get... MAINSTREAM Paper... !!!

And Start To Turn Heads...
In Their RIGHTEOUS Benz’... !!!!!

Cos’ NO Rubbing Shoulders...
Or BENDING Like Folders... !!!!!

Because WE ARE Soldiers...
Whose Wordplay Is BOLDER... !!!!!
Than... Twerking For JERKS... !!!
Cos' We ***** Their Shirts...
With Our Written Works... !!!!!

And When We... “ PERFORM “...
We’re... BEYOND The Norm... !!!

We ARE Something MORE... !!!!!!!!
Than MAINSTREAM TYPE ******...

So Let Me Make CLEAR...
MAINSTREAMERS Adhere...
To... "CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS"...

To Get Their POSITION...
In The MASSES VISION... !!!!!
But Like... “ Q-Tip said “...

“I ain’t messing with them
til’ I cop a deal,
that gives me exposure,
and spotlight to steal !“

So That I CAN EAT... !!!
BEYOND Where They Be... !!!

Because NOW The Streets...
Would... RECOGNISE Me... !!!!!

“ Big Virge In CONVERTS ? “

“Maybe a... Bentley !?! “

See THAT’s How Worms Turn... !!!
LUSTING... “ LUXURIES “...
LEADING To GREED... !!!!!!
And EGO FILLED Deeds..... !!!!!
To Get... BIG MONEY...
And FORSAKE Artistry... !!!!!

I Just Want A Piece...
To Live... Comfortably...

And Write What I See...
Debt FREE... HAPPILY... !!!!!

A Couple of MILL’...
Should Do Me NICELY... !!!

Then I Could Just Chill...
And Build... LEGACIES...
of... Poetic ART....
That Touched MANY HEARTS...
From NEAR To AFAR..........................

Because I STAYED SHARP... !!!
And Just Took A Small Part...

So That I Could SEE...
A Part of The Scene...

That Is DEEMED As...

... “ Mainstream “...

As a typer of what might be
Poetry
I am a football manager
With WORDS as my players.

Words in a Deep W Formation –
Total free verse
Hopefully forming a diamond.
No buses parked here
As my words go winging
Down the page.

Not quite five three two
But maybe the odd Haiku
In syllables of five seven five –
For there are far more than eleven syllables
In Poetry.

All writers are the same:
Our words combining
To make meaning,
Passing our visions
Views and feelings
For a crowd of readers
All being well.

Words to be chanted
By crowds enchanted –
Songs for a stadium
That is our united mind.

Paul Butters

© PB 16\8\2020.

Open your legs and show your class.
Haha.
Sing like Elvis,
Freddie, Pavarotti
Or Shirley Bassey.
Belt out Lennon-McCartney tunes
With Beach Boys Harmonies
And Eric’s Slow Hand Guitar.

Be as Magical as Messi,
Supremely Shakespeare with your plays and poems,
Better still. Hopkins and Keats.
Show the genius of Brian Wilson
And Oscar Wilde.
Not forgetting the Table Tennis Kings
Waldner and Ma Long.  

Oh Yes
Be Champion
Be Real Madrid
Or Barca if you prefer.
1970 Brazil
Federer, Navratilova
Or Lewis Hamilton.

Be simply the best,
Like Ali,
Or better still,
Be better than yourself
Day after day.
Just keep improving,
That’s the way.

Let this poem be tagged
“Motivational”
To get you off your backside.
There’s nothing like Achieving
To fill us full of Pride.

Paul Butters

© PB 11\5\2020. Hopkins, Keats and Ali added 14\5.