King of the Ring

art by Joey Feldman

The Miracle of Muslim Muhammad Ali
by Saira Viola and Ron Whitehead

 

Shimmy-shuffle two step three beats
Balletic poise on magic feet

The Miracle of Muslim Muhammad Ali
Louisville’s week long memorial celebration

Slip dip and drag
Pump push pummel

homages honorings tributes funeral procession
hundreds of thousands chanting ALI ALI filled the streets

Bang box the body bag
Toe to toe

millions of viewers around the world
love and respect shared by all

Rope a dope
Bob and weave

I visited Muhammad Ali’s childhood home
and The Ali Center in Louisville, Kentucky

Fast right-Upper cut now:
Breathe

to pay my respects to poet, boxer,
non-violent spiritual warrior, truth teller, hero

A master class in boxing artistry
Slave name: Cassius Clay

Daddy, my brother and I listened
to every Cassius Clay fight on our AM radio

Rejected by the new Heavyweight
Proud black and loud

I watched every Muhammad Ali fight
on TV from boyhood I followed his life

Muslim convert fighting for peace
For justice

my Dad was a coal miner a farmer a bare knuckle boxer
Daddy loved Cassius Clay Muhammad Ali boxing and poetry

For you, for me
Opposed the draft to fight in ‘Nam,

I’ve been blessed with many teachers
who taught me to never give up

Took on the flag wavers and Uncle Sam
For three long years they stole his dreams

I wrote the poem “Never Give Up”
with Tibetan Buddhist The Dalai Lama

Pinching dollars on handouts and charity
His spirit unbroken his mind intact,

I recited a poem to Muhammad Ali 5 minutes before
he met The Dalai Lama for the 1st time

Razzle dazzle come back
Right hook bam!

Muhammad Ali never gave up
like The Dalai Lama he was a great teacher to me

Left cross slam!
Winning hero takes a pacifist stand.

I felt Daddy’s spirit with me today
as I honored the life of my hero Muhammad Ali

“American patriots” turn on the champ
But Ali trumpets the song of the free

in Louisville Kentucky this week
there was only love and respect

Crowned a lion of liberty!
Brothers and sisters all over the world

with all my heart
I thank Mayor Greg Fischer and Louisville

Lyrical Merlin takes his final bow
King of the ring and people’s hearts

Thank you Muslim Muhammad Ali
for proving that in a world

Aglittering radiant Kentucky star
Ali’s side split wit-matchless humanity gone

in a world filled with violence The King of the Ring
proved there is hope for peace and for love

Ali’s power to inspire rocks strong and lives on
The Miracle of Muslim Muhammad Ali

inspires us to be
champions of hope peace love and charity

together we’ll save humanity
with a bang a boom and an Ali bam bam

Copyright (c) 2016 Saira Viola and Ron Whitehead

•      *      *      *      *      *      *

The Belle cried Ali
The Belle cried Ali
The final journey
To honor “The Greatest”
Who will ever be

The Belle cried Ali
The Belle cried Ali
God allowed me to witness
The most amazing sight
Eyes could ever FUCKING see

The Belle cried Ali
The Belle cried Ali
All moving objects stopped
The Louisville Lip’s procession
Stretched beyond what the eye could see.

The Belle cried Ali
The Belle cried Ali
Let us all remember how he
Floated like a butterfly
And stung like a bee.

The Belle cried Ali
The Belle cried Ali
I watched in pure awe
Chills ran up my spine
My heart raged uncontrollably

The Belle cried Ali
The Belle cried Ali
And even as he rests in his casket
I’m most-certainly damn sure
He’s still PRETTY as can be

The Belle cried Ali
The Belle cried Ali
Maybe the poetic soul
Of Cassius Marcellus Clay
Somehow transported itself inside of me

The Belle cried Ali
The Belle cried Ali
We will forever remember him
Unto eternity as
Muhammad Ali

Copyright (c) 2016 Jason Ashcraft

**This poem was inspired from my own personal experience of witnessing Muhammad Ali’s funeral procession in Louisville, Kentucky, from my vantage point. It was written under severe emotional distress, and under the influence of copious amounts of alcohol.