In honor of World Cup Soccer 2026 being played in the United States/Canada/Mexico, I’m reposting this poem written for our sons by their

Great Uncle, Arnold.

He wrote this poem in a letter to Greg’s mom, Verna, about our boys playing soccer. Verna was living with us at the time in a daylight apartment Greg built for her in the basement of our home. Verna was the oldest of her siblings born in 1918 and her brother Arnold was born in 1920 on Christmas Eve. Verna passed away in 1997 and Arnold passed away several years later. This would have been written in the early 1990’s while we were living on Norway Hill in Bothell. Uncle Arnold was a letter writer and he wrote several poems. Letter writing at it’s finest in beautiful handwriting. 

Playing Soccer in the Rain

It’s raining steadily and hard,
So puddles, growing in the yard
Spill over, and run down the street
Past where this street and others meet.

The boys play soccer in the rain
They run and strive with might and main
To kick the ball into the net
In spite of getting soaking wet.

The teams they play on won 1st prize
It’s good that they could realize
Success for all the joy and pain
Of playing soccer in the rain.

Written by Arnold August Moline

Uncle Arnold is in the upper right hand and lower right hand photo with the darker hair. His brother Clifford is in those two photos along with me on a visit to see Greg’s grandmother in Englewood, Colorado in 1976. Upper right is in the kitchen of Greg’s grandmother’s home. Clifford had made a rhubarb pie. He was the cook for himself, Arnold and Grandmother Agnes. Arnold and Clifford never married. The photo in the upper left is of friends from my side of the family who lived in Denver, the Semenchuks. Lower left is another of Greg’s Uncles, Chester, who everyone called ‘Red’. Greg is in that photo with him cutting logs for firewood at their cabin outside of Denver.

Thank you for reading this nostalgic memory lane post. Enjoy your day!