Sibilance: Poems

Muhammad Ali, then Cassius Clay, talks with his good friend Jerry Lewis. They (play) spar with each other verbally, and physically!... talk about Jerry’s recently cancelled show, Ali’s forthcoming fight with Sonny Liston .... and Ali reads a poem he wrote about Lewis. 

-

M - ...‘I met my match when I met you Jerry, I can talk but you’re something else!’

J - ‘will you shut your mouth, for one minute! I’m trying to make a point.’

M - ‘...are you gonna be there to help me fight him Jerry?...’

J - ...‘I learnt a long time ago, when I was at school, there’s no size you gotta be concerned with as long as you’ve got something behind it such as enthusiasm and belief.’

...

*Jerry taps Ali’s arm by mistake whilst talking expressively* 

*Ali slaps Jerry lightly* ‘you hit me, I won’t let you get away with it.’ 

*Jerry slaps him back harder* ‘go on!’

(they and the audience laugh)

J - ‘hit back, I hit you again - it’s only fair, go on’ 

*Ali slaps Jerry slightly harder* *Jerry punches him back twice as hard* ‘GO ON!’

M - ‘please Jerry you and I are buddies, let’s not start...I don’t wanna fight you. I also think they should know this is all unrehearsed....(Jerry - ’oh they know’), yeah they know, because when a man tags me and gets away with it it’s sure unrehearsed....’ *Jerry bursts into laughter*   

...

M - ‘now for the main event, to my friend Jerry....’

 to my friend Mr Lewis, that magnificent clown

 who remains at the top, though his show has gone down.

 though the critics gave him an unfriendly reception, no one wins all the time, though I am an exception.

when he’s old and senile, he still will be funny,

laying folks in the aisles, just like I will do Sonny. 

‘that’s just for you Jerry, any time you want me just call me’ 

the whole interview is a delight to watch, you can catch it here if you like :) 

Whisper things into my ear,

things others aren’t allowed to hear.

Tell me secrets, tell me lies,

and then laugh to throw off the spies.

I won’t tell a soul, I promise that,

so long as you lean in just like that.

Make it sultry, make it slick,

to avoid detection you have to be quick.

Hold me close, though, while you do,

it needs to look like I belong to you.

Leave me desperate, craving more,

leave me with your secrets, alone on the dance floor.