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The Best Bruises Lyrics by Musa Okwonga

iPoems

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I played a game of football once.
It was on the furthest field from my college;
To get there,
You had to walk off the edge of the map of the town.
Of the eleven men on their team that day,
I only remember one:
A centre-back, his ankles thick as my neck,
Thighs twice as wide as mine,
His flesh the faintest shade,
Like two drops of blood in a pint of milk.
Squat and broad, topped off with a scalp bearing rusted grass,
He had a careful fury about him;
After each challenge,
He slowly, thoughtfully wiped his right boot on the grass,
A butcher cleaning his cleaver.
He carved at me many times,
But found little meat into which he could cut deep,
My legs being two shivering stalks of black bamboo.
Maybe I feared him,
But I was lured back always
By the promise of those fifteen yards between his heels and his goalkeeper,
The most exciting patch of land in sport.
Late in the game, which we were leading by now,
I finally found myself there,
Surging into the headwind, my ambition stronger,
Tearing beyond that last, fatigued slash of his limbs,
Then rolling the ball low, firm and decisive.
My team-mates gathered around me like brothers
And their smiles meant as much as a father’s.
Later, I limped slowly home,
Proudly bearing the best bruises
I had ever earned.
Credits
Musa Okwonga

Musa Okwonga

About “The Best Bruises” by Musa Okwonga

Read the complete lyrics to "The Best Bruises" by Musa Okwonga from the album "iPoems". On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Non-Music, Literature.

"The Best Bruises" is performed by Musa Okwonga. from the album "iPoems" This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "The Best Bruises", explore more songs by Musa Okwonga using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

View all songs and biography for Musa Okwonga · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"The Best Bruises" is credited to Musa Okwonga. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"The Best Bruises" appears on "iPoems".

Visit the Musa Okwonga artist page at /artist/musa-okwonga for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.

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