deepundergroundpoetry.com
Float
Float
(A true encounter)
He floats within my mind
seeking unbound skies
His swagger stings
my soul daring me forward
for all my worth
I can still remember his greatest poem without pause nor reservation
He stood before a crowd
in protest of the war
Someone yelled,
"Hey champ gives us a poem!"
He stretched out his arms
as if to embrace the throngs
and declared,
"You"
Then, with hands on chest
and head slightly bowed,
delivered the final stanza
"Me"
At 11 years old I was invited to see him train
He passed by me,
stopped and looked within
my shaken doe eyes and asked,
"Are you good in school?"
I barely stumbled, "Yes"
"Are you good to your mom and dad?"
A whisper of yes again
He shook his head in mock
"You're not doing you're job young prince. Don't settle for good, work at great"
He did then with his hands and his voice what I now seek with mine
To challenge one's self
one round at a time
Presented in the ONE NIGHT WITH YOUR FAVORITE FAMOUS POET challenge hosted by devilish
(A true encounter)
He floats within my mind
seeking unbound skies
His swagger stings
my soul daring me forward
for all my worth
I can still remember his greatest poem without pause nor reservation
He stood before a crowd
in protest of the war
Someone yelled,
"Hey champ gives us a poem!"
He stretched out his arms
as if to embrace the throngs
and declared,
"You"
Then, with hands on chest
and head slightly bowed,
delivered the final stanza
"Me"
At 11 years old I was invited to see him train
He passed by me,
stopped and looked within
my shaken doe eyes and asked,
"Are you good in school?"
I barely stumbled, "Yes"
"Are you good to your mom and dad?"
A whisper of yes again
He shook his head in mock
"You're not doing you're job young prince. Don't settle for good, work at great"
He did then with his hands and his voice what I now seek with mine
To challenge one's self
one round at a time
Presented in the ONE NIGHT WITH YOUR FAVORITE FAMOUS POET challenge hosted by devilish
Published 23rd Jul 2013
All writing remains the property of the author. Don't use it for any purpose without their permission.
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comments 8
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Commenting Preference:
The author encourages honest critique.
23rd Jul 2013 6:13pm
You really met Ali???
Awesome poem man. I really felt the respect and pride in your piece.
I really enjoy watching boxing, my grandfather was a boxer in his youth and loved watching it, so I have cool memories watching fights on TV with him from a very young age.
Good luck in the comp.
Awesome poem man. I really felt the respect and pride in your piece.
I really enjoy watching boxing, my grandfather was a boxer in his youth and loved watching it, so I have cool memories watching fights on TV with him from a very young age.
Good luck in the comp.
23rd Jul 2013 8:20pm
Yes I met the GOAT aka Greatest of All Time at his training camp in Pennsylvania when he was getting ready for ALI - FRAZIER II.
I'd won an essay contest about fight one and got selected to go to his camp; there were like two bus loads of kids from schools around the city.
Anyway found myself in a right place at the right time moment ... most of the visitors were on one side of the camp, after seeing ALI workout. I was hanging by myself because I knew no one on the trip, and right then the champ walks by with two or three others and speaks to me. Damn near pissed myself ... it was like talking to God!
To this day I have pictures of him at my job and at home.
LSP
I'd won an essay contest about fight one and got selected to go to his camp; there were like two bus loads of kids from schools around the city.
Anyway found myself in a right place at the right time moment ... most of the visitors were on one side of the camp, after seeing ALI workout. I was hanging by myself because I knew no one on the trip, and right then the champ walks by with two or three others and speaks to me. Damn near pissed myself ... it was like talking to God!
To this day I have pictures of him at my job and at home.
LSP
Anonymous
9th Aug 2013 7:29pm
A pretty good narrative, reminiscent of stories about prophets and such, like Friedrich Nietzsche's Thus Spoke Zarathustra. Your inspirational figure is a bit vague and incomprehensible, which sometimes makes him sound slightly pretentious, but there's also an air of mystery about him which makes up for that. All in all, a nice story poem about a meek narrator meeting a strong eccentric. Critique is JMHO. Thank you for the read.
14th Aug 2013 2:33pm
Critics often said that of Ali ... pretentious - arrogant - cocky - self absorbed - didn't know his place - uppity ...
but those were the qualities that endeared him to millions - he didn't know his place.
I'm going to take your comments and come back to this piece at some point to make it crsiper, because there is a sincerity to the man that resonates beyond his bravado.
Thanks for the honest feedback.
LSP
but those were the qualities that endeared him to millions - he didn't know his place.
I'm going to take your comments and come back to this piece at some point to make it crsiper, because there is a sincerity to the man that resonates beyond his bravado.
Thanks for the honest feedback.
LSP
6th Jun 2016 4:33pm
There was only one Ali.
I watched series of interviews of Muhammad Ali with Michael Parkinson, which were insightful and intense at times. I thought Parkinson deliberately challenged Ali on his religious beliefs just to get a reaction from the champ and implied he caught a glimpse of the man within. I don't think you can judge a man by the god he believes in. If you want to see the real man, watch him face adversity, watch him do battle in the boxing ring, against a brother, against society, against racism and the government.
He was a hero to many people in the world.
As I commented in the Muhammad Ali thread... Great tribute, great poem, I love your words, brother.
I watched series of interviews of Muhammad Ali with Michael Parkinson, which were insightful and intense at times. I thought Parkinson deliberately challenged Ali on his religious beliefs just to get a reaction from the champ and implied he caught a glimpse of the man within. I don't think you can judge a man by the god he believes in. If you want to see the real man, watch him face adversity, watch him do battle in the boxing ring, against a brother, against society, against racism and the government.
He was a hero to many people in the world.
As I commented in the Muhammad Ali thread... Great tribute, great poem, I love your words, brother.
7th Jun 2016 10:43am
Thank you so much for your words here and in the thread as well ...
On Sunday morning I must have listened to the George Benson version of THE GREATEST LOVE about 25 times with tears welling up remembering that visit to his camp ... Remembering watching the Rumble in the Jungle with my dad at a NYC theatre (there was no pay per view then) ... Remembering my visit to the Ali center in Louisville about eight years ago ...
He was epic.
Again my thanks my true Brotha.
On Sunday morning I must have listened to the George Benson version of THE GREATEST LOVE about 25 times with tears welling up remembering that visit to his camp ... Remembering watching the Rumble in the Jungle with my dad at a NYC theatre (there was no pay per view then) ... Remembering my visit to the Ali center in Louisville about eight years ago ...
He was epic.
Again my thanks my true Brotha.
6th Jun 2016 4:50pm
wow Lobo what an amazing life changing encounter with the great Heavy Weight Of all time Ali..
love Crim
love Crim
7th Jun 2016 10:48am
I actually have an autographed picture of Ali hanging in my bedroom that I literally wake up to every morning ... Autographed gloves from Joe Frazier - he was a gorgeous man in his own right (something I didn't understand as a kid) ...
The Greatest will be missed
Thank you for commenting Crim
The Greatest will be missed
Thank you for commenting Crim
