Roger Robinson is a British writer, musician and performer. He was born in London in the 1960s. His book A Portable Paradise (Peepal Tree Press) won the 2019 T.S. Eliot Prize. ‘Balotelli’ was commissioned as part of the Thinking Outside the Penalty Box project, in a partnership with The Poetry Society’s Young Poets Network.
Balotelli
In between the lilt of your name and your skin like onyx. In between the matt curl of an afro and your flaming mohawk, between jollof rice and pani pizza. Between the dam of your tears and the wet chest of your shirt.
In between why always me and leave me alone between the complicated and particular, speaking up and being spoken of; in between talent and challenge between cheering crowds and lonely clicks of flashing lights.
That liminal space, that difficult uncomfortable space between the thud of your shot and the frictive hiss of a spinning ball climbing the net; and you running, shouting to your fans I’ve slayed your demons, now what about mine.
Questions
1 How does Robinson’s use of description in the first stanza build a picture of Balotelli?
2 In what ways is the idea of a ‘liminal space’ significant in the poem?
3 To what extent do you feel that Robinson creates a satisfying climax in the final stanza?