Slim Jim - The wayward genius

Princely extravagance to be royal for a day
The cause on these shores of a momentous stir
Born the year of the great War
Grand regal James Curran Baxter

Purely influenced by a love for the Hibees
Idle admirer of the blistering famous five
Manufactured of slight built in Hill O’ Beath
Slick footwork from the King of jive

A swing of the hips for this noble rapier
Electric shimmy to flee the enclosed space
North of the border they claim him the greatest
August grandiose to rival Wallace

The most splendid product of Crossgates Primrose
Deft, silky feints left legions to freeze
Eminence not furthered at Spurs or Inter
For the Pele of the swinging sixties

Demon on the grass, even more so off
Synchronous alliance with Bacardi and Coke
Those with half forte earned a handsome buck
But monarchical Slim was always broke

Twas the scene of a massacre, his epic moment
Keepie uppie against the worlds best
Number 6 rampaged, sitting, jinking, feigning
Quite simply a Scotsman possessed

Jules Rimet gleamed with elegance
Wembley hailed a stately performer
Had Slim been from Brazil ala continental
They’d have feted a footballing reformer

Medals, caps, debauchered reign
Career over as it begun
Was unlikely to jink on the straight and narrow
Leaving memories that will never be undone

Number 7
© Emdad Rahman
www.football-poems.com