I wrote this on Curling Day in Canada (January 31, 2026) in celebration of the game and those who play it. Tougher than it looks on television, the game is both demanding and fun. And while all games do not come down to a final button shot, they are all dramatic as one never knows what is going to happen.
The game had been close right from the start
Requiring calmness in the face of beating hearts
Draws, take-outs, and even the peels
Had been all text book and resulted in steals
During the first end, there was not one miss
Though some rocks had been so close they gave a kiss
Each lead and second had made shots so precise
Then it had come to surgical shots made by each vice
Back and forth through each end, the rocks were thrown
Players and the crowd filling the rink with cheers and groans
Each end the house was filled with both coloured rocks
Shots being made that were both spectacular and orthodox
The Skips were feeling the pressure of thinking ahead
Knowing one mistake could end the game with awful dread
Do we freeze or take-out? Is the port wide enough?
Is the ice changing? And can I call their bluff?
Down to the last end with no points apart
It was going to call on curling’s science and the art
With a split in the house and guards doing their job
It came down to last rock and hitting the round knob
Known as the button, the circle is small
Twelve inches in diameter and always a close call
The rock’s line and weight with the sweepers each attune
Would determine the winner and who was buying at the saloon
The Skip rears back and slides smoothly from the hack
There is now only the release for there is no going back
The rock is rotating as the crowd holds their breath
Everyone now is cheering with the imminent sudden-death
The rock approaches the hog line with no pick in sight
The only question is where the rock would alight
The calls of ‘hard’ and ‘hurry’ carry across the rink
With a last gasp the rock passes the guard with a wink
Into the house the rock is twirling its last spins
Grinding down to the button and the centre pin
With a roar, the brooms go up and voices are raised
There’s now a winner but everyone’s skills are praised