“My goal with this poem was to convey the feelings of the new stadium as if it were alive. As if it had its own personal reality and how that personal reality is affecting how it feels,” said Callender.
“When I mention the darkest hours summon the brightest lights, I’m meaning that right now with the pandemic we are in very dark hours, but in these times of need is when we come together as a community and shed light on what we need to do to get better. I use the metaphor of the brightest lights in reference to the lights of the stadium. When the lights of the stadium turn on, then the herons fly, the herons kind of like being the team.”
“Herons are known for being stealthy hunters, so they’re still. So I use the stillness of the stadium and no fans being there to represent the heron’s stillness. And since the stadium can’t be used right now, it’s confessing how it’s been feeling about the current situation,” he added.
“This goes along with the fans being an integral part of our games and the game atmosphere. This is just to kind of sum up how the stadium and everyone at the club feels. The team plays for the fans. We miss the fans and we miss the games.”
“I feel that with new teams there needs to be a relationship built between the organization, fans and the community. The fact that I was able to write a poem to address the fans and the community was a great opportunity and I’m very grateful,” expressed Callender.