The Goat Poem by Phillip Nine Mafunga

Illiterate and yet he penned a book
His was not mere boxing
His was but expressional philosophy
Understood he both the essence and futility of mortality
Might've disagreed with his faith
Yet he was very devout in his spirituality
Hung his own life to dry for the good of his own: black people
Lost it all, faced prison for refusing to participate in callousness
Cassius Clay, they named him
Muhammad Ali, he named himself and got liberated from the past
The greatest of all time he thought he was
Moreover, the rumble in the jungle convinced all doubters
He practiced science in the ring
His boxing was a philosophy lecture
Lecture on speed, accuracy, and decisiveness
He painted streets and television studios with intellectual amusement
He indeed was, is, and will always be the greatest of all time
Mohammad Ali!
16 June 2021