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The Lonesome Tender

Jeffrey Powell

Ode
Silky mitts - Rugged grit
A hockey player must have their wits

One is masked - Tallest task
Keep the puck out is all that is asked

Mental game - Often blamed
In defeat they’ll suffer the most shame

Goalie speak - Answer dekes
To chase the elusive shutout streak

Unsung hero - Consummate pros
They really should get more dinero

About this poem

Ice hockey is practically a religion here in Pittsburgh. If you know, you know.

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Written on November 09, 2023

Submitted by JokerGem on November 10, 2023

Modified by JokerGem on November 16, 2023

19 sec read
13

Quick analysis:

Scheme XA XX XX AX XX
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 332
Words 65
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 2, 2, 2, 2, 2
Full analysis for The Lonesome Tender »

Jeffrey Powell

A bit of an introvert, Jeffrey enjoys arranging words and dabbling in poetic forms as an outlet for expressing his thoughts, feelings, and observations. He tends to play by his own rules and darts in and out of the civilized world, as avoiding the conventional gathering is more his style. Jeffrey lives with his fraternal twin whom he enjoys sharing a laugh with at the opportune time. more…

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Discuss the poem The Lonesome Tender with the community...

3 Comments
  • JokerGem
    JokerGem
    Symmetry60 Thank you kindly, Steve.
    Yeah, our beloved Penguins, up here, are still around even though Mario’s largely in the rear view now.
    LikeReply1 year ago
  • Symmetry60
    Symmetry60
    Ah, a hockey fan I see. Little boring FYI for you, brother. My Uncle Leo, God rest his soul, is in the Northeastern University Hockey Hall of Fame. He still stands as first or second all-time for points scored in a single season - I want to say 1961 or 62. He was an alternate for the Olympic team back in the day as well. He would have gone pro but opted instead to do the married/family thing. My nephew will also be in the Northeastern Baseball Hall of Fame. He was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in 2021 and is currently playing A-ball for them in Oregon. He was Player of the Conference and Player of the Year in 2021 and broke the homerun record, as well as a few others. Lots of bragging going on here, but who can blame me dammit. LOL!

    Great piece of writing here, Jeff. I thoroughly enjoyed it being that I've been a hockey fan since the 70s.     
    LikeReply1 year ago
    • JokerGem
      JokerGem
      pardon my maladroitness in commenting...
      But that was cool to hear. There appears to be plenty of athletic genetics in your stock.
      LikeReply1 year ago
  • Vixility
    Vixility
    Hahaha … perfect!! Love it! And I dig the sort of Emily Dickinson ‘shape’ of the poem, not to mention the rhyme-scheme.

    Well done friend …
    LikeReply1 year ago
    • JokerGem
      JokerGem
      Thanks amigo!
      I know, and there is something undeniably jovial underlying this one, which l thought into fruition so effortlessly that l had to share it to the site. I couldn't resist!
      For all who toil in the trenches .... 
      LikeReply1 year ago

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"The Lonesome Tender" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 16 Mar. 2025. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/173434/the-lonesome-tender>.

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