News 24 is on
An afternoons catch up on world events
Becomes shattered
There has been an incident at the game.
A player has been struck
This time it’s fatal.
I watch
A rearing ball
Strike him in the neck.
Momentarily he stands, rubbing the spot
He shakes his head as if to clear a fog
Then falls face first onto the pitch.
My heart races as that action says so much.
I watch as frantic players call for help
There is a confusion of bodies
CPR is happening
They stop on the field
Ambulances arrive
After an eternity he is taken to ICU.
A nation catches its breath
We are told he’s on life support.
Two days later the news we feared.
We descend into a grief not seen before
A young man taken from us
A prodigious talent, his future ahead.
Our televisions take us into the lives of his friends
We watch as his grieving father
Carries him from the funeral service
We collectively share the grief.
There but for the grace of God go I.
Phillip Hughes was an Australian cricketer. He was felled during a cricket match and died on the 27th November 2014. It was a freak accident but for anyone who played the game a reminder it could have happened to any of us.
Currently a match is being played on the same ground where he died. There have been emotional scenes and very positive scenes as players from Australia and India play the game so many of us love and cherish.
Written for: http://margoroby.com/2015/01/06/tuesday-tryouts-where-were-you-when/
Morpethroad 
Nicely written, Michael, I was not aware of this… so sad.
Thank you Cheryl-Lynn, I wrote a few posts about it at the time as well. As a tribute around Australia people put their cricket bats out on their front veranda’s.
Aw, that is so nice!! I suppose we would get a response like this with a hockey player.
Yes indeed. It was the freak nature of the accident and to a young man universally loved that made it greater than it might have been.
I appreciate you sharing the moment, as it is still so fresh in your heart.
Thank you so much. I’ll look for you next week.
Wonderful. I look forward to it.
Good morning to you over there.
Thank you. Its going to be a hot one in my part of the world.
A sad day, a tribute well written, a young man who will forever be thought of in the minds of so many.
Thanks Jenny, yes indeed he will.
What a terrible thing to witness, Michael. Very sad.
It certainly was Mandy. Thanks so much for commenting.
The pain and shock are still alive in your poem.
As one who follows cricket, I shared in that shock moment when one realises this is more than a fluke — it’s serious. Nicely written.
So sad when something like this happens.
Yes indeed it touched so many of us here.
Oh wow…your telling is riveting…the use of the breath of the audience is effective…causes one to lean in – listening for the breath of the injured one. Well done.
Thank you Hannah, I appreciate very much your comment.