Roger Bannister crosses the line

Poem by Rosemary Mathew in memory of Owen Taylor, primary school teacher

'Who can forget that famous image – the monochrome of total exhaustion, falling into arms outstretched?'

How we cheered in childhood,
back when we, in the world,
were young; seeing that tall figure
stride, steady as a metronome, to achieve
the unachievable, and,
reaching the end, give us the hopefulness
to believe the unbelievable.

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