COME ON TIM

Tim Henman, with typical luck, faces defending champion Roger Federer today at Wimbledon. The Borkowski poet in residence felt he needed some support…

Come on Tim
find that vim
and play your tennis well.

Don’t go to ground
in the second round,
we’ve got strawberries to sell.

Be granite faced
and don’t get aced;
give Federer tennis hell.

Come on Tim
it’s sink or swim;
you know you want to win.

It would be kinder
if you played a blinder
or we’ll drown ourselves in gin.

It’s knife-edge stuff
but if you do enough
we’ll forgive you every sin.

It’s tennis, tennis
so be a menace,
stalk the grassy court.

sweat and grunt
feint and punt
don’t give the past a thought.

Dig in your heels
abandon all ideals
for the genteel war of sport.

Our hopes are high
though God knows why,
for every year you’ve failed.

Should you fail again
(let’s make it if not when)
we’ll have to have you jailed.

So come on Tim
find that vim
and play your tennis well.

Don’t go to ground
in the second round,
we’ve got strawberries to sell