Peace Songbook

The Prize (poem)

Music and lyrics by Peter Alsop

©2001 Moose School Music (BMI)

Lyrics

THE PRIZE

 My team mates cheer me through

“Get out there and win it!”

“We can take them!  You can do it!”

But my heart’s not really in it

 

If I win, what’s the prize?

Someone feels awful

You can see it in their eyes

If I loose, someone will say

That I can’t take the heat

So I don’t want to compete

I only want to play.

 

“There’s a lot at stake today!

But just try to do your best!”

Well it’s no fun to play

With all this tension in my chest

 

If I win, what’s the prize?

When someone feels beaten

You can see it in their eyes

If I loose, it’s just a game

But it’s incomplete,

And I don’t want to compete

And I forget just why I came

 

Is it really that much fun?

They say the game was great

But even when I’ve won,

I still feel second rate

No one’s really better

We’re all in this together

And if we stop comparing,

The world will be more caring

Then we all win.

That’s the prize

You can see it in our eyes

 

When no one has to lose

Or buy expensive shoes,

And no one has to cheat

And no one takes the heat

If we stand together and we say

We won’t compete this way,

Because, we all came here, ... to play.

That’s the prize

 

 

Written by Peter Alsop, ©Copyright 2001,

Moose School Music (BMI)

On Did You Walk?– www.peteralsop.com

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