Muhammad
Ali left us, and departed from the world four years ago, the greatest of all
time is gone
Muhammad
Ali held the world in his hands, the greatest of all time lives on.
I
heard the news of his passing, waking in the middle of the night
I
heard the news of his passing, I listened to the stories and cried
Ali,
the greatest of all had died
Of
all the heroes I ever fell for, he was the only one that was truly alive
The
only one I ever prayed for, the only one I thought could make a difference in
our time.
Ali
spoke to the heart, he spoke for justice and freedom, he told the truth and he
spoke of love.
He
spoke to the world in the same way that he fought, he spoke to and fought for
everyone.
He
spoke in rhythms that dazzled and he spoke in words that hurt.
He
floated past us
He struck us with his
sting
As beautiful
as the butterfly
As ominous as the
bee
With
the symbols of his fame he took on the powers of the world
Bumaye,
Ali…Bumaye
He
was a prophet in our time, he praised us as he scolded us, sharp tongued and
pretty.
Ask
him, he was the prettiest.
I
remember the day in 1980 when I heard the news that he had lost the championship.
Muhammad
Ali lost! They said Ali would never fight again!
All
the kids on the school bus murmured, Ali was not the greatest after all, and
the world stopped making sense.
Muhammad
Ali gave my generation permission to be ourselves, be bold and to brag, to be good
and do right.
Muhammad
Ali taught us to question, to challenge authority, to shun war. Muhammad Ali
was right.
He
taught us to risk the things you desire most, to give up titles and money and
fame
He let
them go for the things that matter most to him, to serve the truth, seeking
justice, to work on behalf of the poor and the outcast as he drew breath.
Ali handcuffed
lightning and put the thunder in jail
His
star rose like the sun.
Four
years ago it set.
Given First (as an essay) - 2016.06.04
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