Retired "Hurt"

                              Walking down this cobble stoned street,
                              My heart voluntarily skipped a beat.
                              I suddenly found myself back in time,
                              To the days I played football sublime.

          
                              The year was '06 & the month was August,
                              I entered the field with my knee feeling robust.
                              Within an hour into the match,
                              I came across my life's most defining patch.


                              All my dreams of a come-back were shattered,
                              This time I realized my knee was surely battered.
                              As I faced those endless moments of agony,
                              All I could do was lie down & hold my knee.

                              With all elders forcing me to give this sport a rest,
                              I found every moment, a severe mental test.
                              For, they were asking me to give up this game,
                              Something that gave me name & fame.

                              With a last dream of donning the college shirt,
                              I found myself forcefully retired & painfully "hurt".
                              As I saw my team play & win,
                              All I could do was sit outside & give a forceful grin.

                              For anyone else it was just a game of football,
                              But for me, a passion above all.
                              A passion that always made me glow,
                              But today, the same passion is at an all time low.

                              A year & a half post surgery,
                              I find myself having made a decent recovery.
                              But each time I pass through the same old street,
                              I reluctantly accept the lost magic in my feet.