A Poem For Magic

by Quincy Troupe

take it to the hoop, “magic” johnson
take the ball dazzling down the open lane
herk & jerk & raise your six feet nine inch
frame into air sweating screams of your neon name
“magic” johnson, nicknamed “windex” way back in high school
cause you wiped glass backboards so clean
where you first juked & shook
wiled your way to glory
a new style fusion of shake & bake energy
using everything possible, you created your own space
to fly through–any moment now, we expect your wings
to spread feathers for that spooky take-off of yours–
then shake & glide, till you hammer home
a clotheslining deuce off glass
now, come on down with reverse hoodoo gem
off the spin, & stick it in sweet, popping nets, clean
from twenty feet, right-side
put the ball on the floor, “magic”
slide the dribble behind your back, ease it deftly
between your bony, stork legs, head bobbing everywhichway
up & down, you see everything on the court
off the high, yoyo patter, stop & go dribble, you shoot
a threading needle rope pass, sweet home to kareem
cutting through the lane, his skyhook pops cords
now lead the fastbreak, hit worthy on the fly on the fly
off the fake, looking the other way
you raise off balance into space
sweating chants of your name, turn, 180 degrees
off the move, your legs scissoring space, like a swimmer’s
yoyoing motion. in deep water, stretching out now toward free
flight, you double pump through human trees, hang in place
slip the ball into your left hand
then deal it like a las vegas card dealer
off squared glass, into nets, living up to your singular nickname
so “bad,” you cartwheel the crowd towards frenzy
wearing now your electric smile, neon as your name
In victory, we suddenly sense your glorious uplift
your urgent need to be champion
& so we cheer, rejoicing with you, for this quicksilver,
quicksilver quicksilver
moment of fame, so put the ball on the floor again, “magic”
juke & dazzle, shake & bake down the land
take the sucker to the hop, “magic” johnson,
recreate reverse hoodoo gems off the spin,
deal alley-oop-dunk-a-thon-magician passes
now, double-pump, scissor, vamp through space
hang in place & put it all up in the sucker’s face, “magic”
johnson, & deal the roundball, like the juju man that you am
like the sho-nuff shaman man that you a
“magic,” like the sho-nuff spaceman, you am

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