It's a gun metal morning
nail-head rain hammers
a quitting earth.
The sky
is a technical knockout.
Making a third cup
of black coffee,
I elbow a dullness aside,
try a few butterfly steps
get ready
for the daily fight.
In 1938, boxer Joe Louis did the patriotic thing.
He had an entire nation in his corner of the ring.
Here, he was facing German heavyweight Max Schmeiling.
Yankee Stadium in New York was the site for this meeting.
Schmeiling was the symbol for Aryan supremacy.
He was considered a hero in Nazi Germany.
Louis was fighting for freedom and democracy.
In the ring, Louis fought the way that would astound.
With a technical knockout, he defeated the German in one round.
Louis and Schmeiling became friends for years after the fight.
For many Americans, that was a memorable night.
I thank wikipedia.org online encyclopedia for valuable information I obtained to write this poem.
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