A Fan's Lament

Aside from an occasional movie review haiku, I don't dabble in poetry because, well, I'm a lackluster poet.  But this hockey season will do strange things to a man.  Therefore, dear reader, I give you-

A Fan's Lament

What a joyous day it would have been,
A day to wistfully wonder why,
To whisper thanks to the hockey gods in the sky.

What a joyous day it would have been,
No longer challenging a player's mettle or pedigree,
Less questioning of a coach's wisdom or philosophy.

What a joyous day it would have been,
No more trades to ponder,
Not another playoff lead to squander.

What a joyous day it would have been,
Putting Milbury's critiques to rest,
No longer shamed to don a team's woeful crest.

What a joyous day it would have been,
Spared looking up at every rival,
Relieved of anticipating a squad's revival.

What a joyous day it would have been,
An outcome so unforeseen,
Freed from hurling insults at a shimmering screen.

Oh, what a joyous day it would have been,
If only it were real,
The day Gary Bettman said, "With the players, we will reach no deal."