The once smoky atmosphere of the bar,

now cleaned by regulation

but somehow losing its charm

in the modern day transformation

would always see conversation

take shape in the air

about who was the greatest

footballer that ever lived.

Names bandied round

like solid facts,

all different and full of truth in their own way,

I offered a Dutch master, poise and panache

the steady stroke of artistry,

drawn from memory,

painted with deft strokes and unnerving realism,

vivid with expression, imagination