The Greatest

I'm reading a really fascinating book at the moment - 'Muhammad Ali His Life and Times' - by Thomas Hauser.

To my mind Ali's politics and religious beliefs were all over the place - completely crazy in some ways.

But he was a real force of nature back in the 1960s and 70s - a social phenomenon at the peak of his powers - and his impact on the world stage was simply breathtaking.

Ali was also absolutely right on the biggest single issue of his day - the second class status and blatant discrimination facing black or African Americans and Ali set the country alight with his brave refusal to fight in the Vietnam War - of which he remarked famously:

"I ain't got no quarrel with them Vietcong."  

Here's another of Ali's poems which he wrote shortly before resting the heavyweight boxing championship away from the fearsome Sonny Liston.

I am the Greatest

Clay comes out to meet Liston
And Liston starts to retreat
If Liston goes back any further
He'll end up in a ringside seat
Clay swings with a left
Clay swings with a right
Look at young Cassius
Carry the fight
Liston keeps backing
But there's not enough room
It's a matter of time
There, Clay lowers the boom
Now Clay swings with a right
What a beautiful swing
And the punch raises the bear
Clear out of the ring
Liston is still rising
And the ref wears a frown
For he can't start counting
Till Sonny comes down
Now Liston disappears from view
The crowd is getting frantic
But our radar stations have picked him up
He's somewhere over the Atlantic
Who would have thought
When they came to the fight
That's they'd witness the launching
Of a human satellite
Yes, the crowd did not dream
When they laid down their money
That they would see
A total eclipse f the Sonny
I am the greatest!