a series of short stories and poems
A Poem on the Qatar World Cup
Millions around the world eagerly waiting in anticipation,
Billions spent in Qatar despite fervent opposition.
A winter World Cup in a derelict, waterless desert.
Football fans in an inner conflict are on alert.
Global warming is real. Climate change is real.
Yet 10,000 liters of water per day is the deal.
And the conflict inside grows even bigger still.
FIFA says we are making a mountain out of a molehill.
Or are they making a molehill out of a mountain?
All I know is that one thing is for certain.
Many migrant workers have died in Qatar’s intense heat,
While FIFA executives tweet from a five-star hotel suite.
It makes me sick how FIFA has pitted my love for the sport
Against my empathy for people whose lives were cut short.
So as you watch -or boycott- this corrupt competition,
Remember the dead. Not just Messi the magician.
