YET ANOTHER T. MARK HALL SONG

Tune: The Ash Grove (Welsh traditional)
Words: Andrew Grant, 1979, revised by Francis Roads, 1989.

I played 'gainst a three dan
named T. Mark who had indeed an
incredible eye for rip-offs and things of that.
I tried playing oba,
but his tesuji knew no bar.
'Twas lucky I wasn't sober
so I didn't mind.

And the stones played by T.Mark Hall,
and the stones played by T.Mark Hall,
and the stones played by T.Mark Hall
spanned the board far and wide:
I played a kakari,
which led to damezumari.
And I found I was in atari:
He'd ripped off my side.

I felt just like crying,
my groups without eyes were lying,
I tried hard to stop them dying,
but lost them, 'cause then
my eye shape attacked he
and as a matter of fact the
groups eyes absolutely lacked - he
had ripped me again.

And the stones played by T.Mark Hall,
and the stones played by T.Mark Hall,
and the stones played by T.Mark Hall
spanned the board far and wide:
He started a ko fight,
the game soon became a no-fight,
I never could play my go right,
so my groups all died.

So soon I was finding
my shape he was undermining,
but no way was I resigning
and spoiling the fun.
The neutral points were filled
and my heart with hope was refilled.
I'd forgotten the stones that he'd killed,
so might I have won?

And the stones played by T.Mark Hall,
and the stones played by T.Mark Hall,
and the stones played by T.Mark Hall
spanned the board far and wide:
I needn't have wondered,
I knew all along I'd blundered,
and he won by several hundred,
but at least I had tried!