for jo jo white

jo jo white would come down the court dribbling.

little Black man with bow legs and rounded shoulders

with hair like donated, crushed glass. and

each time he would flick his wrist. 

It's funny how the mind always misses something

after watching so many three dimensional events

like blood on the shield of the gladiator or

what color shoes the thin model wore for her thigh-gap shoot. 

"it should be impossible" i'm telling my father

who hated the Celtics, "being able to throw a bouncing

rubber sphere through a gaping loop from 30 feet". but

there it was happening, over and over

like a river without a resting bank; without rivers without

fish to hold the mongrel sand grains down their throats.

"Cancer killed him at 71" the story read. I didn't want to

know what kind. cancer is one of those words

that is a folding of endings all alone. no medical dictionary could

spell out the numerology of it. no pill book

with those white lozenges stacked up by shapes walking

along the slumbering thorn chastening. no words

with "nol" as an ending, enough to quell the thirst of man

that shakes in the night waiting for god to return with a miracle. 

jo jo white would come up the court dribbling.

that's enough right there to keep you forever

remembering.

Reviews

[BlackPrince]

'With hair like donated crushed glass'
You certainly are blessed with the talent of words.

This poem is a really good tribute from your behalf.

WELL DONE

[h d e rushin]

I love your hair is this photo BlakPrince.....It has that JoJo White texture to it which means your lineage can be traced to the shores of West Africa. There, everyone is a poet of sorts. But imagine having to play a game in a city as segregated as Boston.....even in those glory years of "athlete worship"? The struggle of the Black player in those early days of the NBA, likewise, made every player a sort of poet.........Thanks again for those kind words....dana

[BlackPrince]

'JoJo White texture'
I like that!
That's funny!
I can sense you have a good sense of humour.

[R.E. Ray]

A remarkable tribute to an adored athlete. You paint with such vivid imagery in this poem, I could see him, especially the "dribbling" up the court. Thanks for sharing this poem with us.

[h d e rushin]

thank you Robert ray for remembering a great player who died way before his time. I hadn't seen any video's or footage of his play in such a long time, but with the miracle of youtube, there he was again in all of his glory......dana

[Beccy]

I confess, I don't know of jo jo White; but I do know we are the creators of both magic and mayhem; no other species does it better; or indeed, cares to.

'there was a time when team sports were without personalities.' Indeed, just as there was a time before $10,000 designer handbags.

Dogs only bark, whereas today's world is barking mad.

Beccy. :))

[Coyote Poetry]

I remember Jo Jo White. I dislike him as a basketball player. I was a Detroit fan. He was talented and fun to watch play. One of the greats. Good words written for Jo Jo White. Thank you my friend for sharing the powerful and needed words.
Coyote

[Zeitgeist Manifesto]

Nice tribute. I love how you captured the way time comes to a crawl as you watch that shot approaching the rim.

[Emily B]

I keep going through friends lists counting the number no longer with us. I cant delete them. I hold their places as if they might come back. But the numbers are growing.

[h d e rushin]

I thought about that same thing the other day..Why writing poetry is important to immortality. John's passing hurt me so deeply. I still can't imagine it. But he lives on in his magical spirit and his words....thank you my friend for stopping by....dana

[Emily B]

We live on through our words and those who remember tgem.

[Corset]

(practically spews coffee as far as he could throw that basketball) yeas indeed the world has lost a phenomenal athlete, if we could compare poets and athletes you would be the JoJo white of the poetry world in my always too humble and oft meaningless opinion" still...I do rank heavily in the obnoxious arena no one can deny. Jo Jo was always a favorite of mine.

[h d e rushin]

I hated the Celtics but loved his play...is that possible? can you cheer for the individual and not the team? They just won all the time against my lowly Pistons and it hurt me to watch it. Thatsall.

[Corset]

of course you can! I know what you mean, about those pistons, which is another reason I try not to walk the path of politics either, it just leaves you frustrated. Bah, they don't have to play on your team to be appreciated.

[Corset]

[jacob erin-cilberto]

i loved that Celtics team. Only time I liked pro-basketball was watching them. They played a real team game. With Russell and Havlecheck ----

great poem, dana...

[h d e rushin]

Jacob, you have to be an old warrior to know that the shield that keeps the enemy at bay, also displays our allegiance. But I admired Jo jo white because his team almost always won. Thanks dear brother for remembering along side of me. And yes, he was a great with Russell and Havlecheck .....They never lost. / dana

[Einstein Noodle]

wow...never much of a sports person but your tribute is exquisite says i ... worht reading again simply for the pleasure of the words and similes ..especialy this:
"there it was happening, over and over
like a river without a resting bank; without rivers without
fish to hold the mongrel sand grains down their throats"
i felt enthralled reading it ...the magic of jo jo's gift ... mesmerizing fans ... i like this a lot .. a real gem h d!
E.

[h d e rushin]

thank you brother. Just remember that there was a time when team sports were without personalities. I mean, it was a different time in terms of exposure. Players are all about their brands today. It's always a pleasure to read your kind remakrs....dana