We Tell the Sad Stories of Aging Boxers
They tell now, often in barbershop chairs,
The sad stories and final chapters of aging boxers;
It was the old gladiators sensitive to the grays in their hair
Who will continue the fight, despite the red that trickled down their forehead.
But for the rattling brain and endless headaches,
Slackened jaws that slur the speech,
Sleepless nights, and premature deaths,
The prideful prizefighter will perpetually prowl for one more bout,
And that is when Rocky Marciano swells the faded Brown Bomber’s face,
And Larry Holmes pummels an aging Muhammad Ali
In a disgraceful title card, that never should’ve taken place.
But for one more piece of the action, or for one more paycheck,
Believing this next one shall be the resurrection,
And not just a step closer to early grave,
They will fight, and God help me for paying to watch it all.
……
This poem is from the chapbook Too Short to Box with God by Matthew Johnson (Finishing Line Press), and can be found at https://www.finishinglinepress.com/product/too-short-to-box-with-god-by-matthew-johnson/
Too Short to Box with God is a #poetry collection that draws on the vast #history of one of the world’s oldest sports to both celebrate and reflect on the sweet science of #boxing and the fighters who have not only dedicated their lives to the fight, but have embodied cultural and socio-political importance that goes beyond the ring. Ranging from the works of ancient literature, such as Homer’s Iliad and The Bible, to towering and transcendent fighters like Joe Louis and Muhammad Ali, Too Short to Box with God examines how boxing, across time, has intersected with entertainment, literature, politics, race, and religion. Evoking the action, atmosphere, controversy, and sympathy of a complicated and violent sport, Too Short to Box with God, explores the impact of boxing in a poetic form like no other collection has done before.
Matthew Johnson is the author of Shadow Folks and Soul Songs (Kelsay Books) and Far from New York State (New York Quarterly Press). His poetry has appeared in Apple Valley Review, The Amistad, Dead Mule School of Southern Literature, London Magazine, San Pedro River Review, and elsewhere. A recipient of the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net nominations, and a Writing Residency from Sundress Publications, he is the managing editor of The Portrait of New England and the poetry editor of The Twin Bill.
www.matthewjohnsonpoetry.com
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