Tribute to ‘The Greatest’ ADVERTISING Tribute to ‘The Greatest’ Ali You were the Champ But they didn’t respect you in your own land And they tried to take your crown away And they almost did After banning you from the
Tribute to ‘The Greatest’
Ali
You were the Champ
But they didn’t respect you in your own land
And they tried to take your crown away
And they almost did
After banning you from the ring for taking a stand
Based on your deeply held religious beliefs and moral conviction
The court said that you were right all along
Their decision and vindication better than any first round knockout
You fought for the title again
Some said that you were rusty and not half the boxer that you once were
Well, I never went 15 rounds and never took a left hook on the jaw
Or felt my knees buckle from a punch no one saw
You lost that fight but you won in my eyes
For you spoke out as a man of courage and moral decency
You spoke of things much more important than a boxing crown
You spoke out for freedom, justice and equality
And you became champ again
And those of us who admired your boxing skills cheered
Yet with those monumental battles in the ring
And the physical punishment you endured
Came a large price to pay
You lost your eloquence and graceful gait
Against an opponent that you could not physically defeat
Some felt bad for you and some may have even pitied you
But they did know the true essence of Muhammad Ali
You fought this new opponent
Not with your flashing fists and dancing feet
But with a will of steel and a heart of immense kindness and generosity
You traveled the world
Touching the lives of the less fortunate
And those battling their own afflictions
And you made them laugh
You made them smile
And above all else you gave them hope
Your laughing eyes lit up any room that you entered
Your caring touch gave courage to young and old alike
And you never stopped sharing your vision of a better world
Of a world at peace
And in your passing
The world lost a great champion
Not only in the ring
But in the world beyond the canvas and ropes
You were just like all of us
A human being trying to understand why we are here
And what life is all about
Yet you stood above many of us
Because I believe in the end you found the answer for your life
And it was a simple answer that you shared with all of us
Love God and love the people of the Earth
And Muhammad
In turn the people around the world loved you
Howard Shapiro is a resident of Volcano
