Slam dunk hook
By Yusef Komunyakaa
Fast breaks, Lay up, With Mercury’s Insignia on our sneakers, Nike Symbol
We outmaneuvered the footwork
Of bad angels. Nothing but a hot
Swish of strings like silk
Ten feet out. In the roundhouse
Labyrinth our bodies Playing basketball
Created, we could almost
Last forever, poised in midair
Like storybook sea monsters.
A high note hung there Good thing is happening (The ball was suspended)
A long second. Off
The rim. We’d corkscrew
Up & dunk balls that exploded
The skullcap of hope & good
Intention. Bug-eyed, lanky,
All hands & feet…sprung rhythm.
We were metaphysical when girls
Cheered on the sidelines. They were distracted by the people cheering. They become powerful
Tangled up in a falling.
Muscles were a bright motor
Double-flashing to the metal hoop
Nailed to our oak.
When Sonny Boy’s mama died SHIFT - All about the game
He played nonstop all day, so hard
Our backboard splintered.
Glistening with sweat, we jibed
& rolled the ball off our
fingertips. Trouble
Was there slapping a blackjack
Against an open palm. He played basketball to deal with his problems
Dribble, drive to the inside, feint,
& glide like a sparrow-hawk. The bird (FREEDOM)
Lay ups. Fast breaks.
We had moves we didn’t know
We had. Our bodies spun
On swivels of bone & faith, They were trusting their bodies to do the right thing
Through a lyric slipknot
Of joy, & we knew we were
Beautiful & dangerous...
Fast breaks, Lay up, With Mercury’s Insignia on our sneakers, Nike Symbol
We outmaneuvered the footwork
Of bad angels. Nothing but a hot
Swish of strings like silk
Ten feet out. In the roundhouse
Labyrinth our bodies Playing basketball
Created, we could almost
Last forever, poised in midair
Like storybook sea monsters.
A high note hung there Good thing is happening (The ball was suspended)
A long second. Off
The rim. We’d corkscrew
Up & dunk balls that exploded
The skullcap of hope & good
Intention. Bug-eyed, lanky,
All hands & feet…sprung rhythm.
We were metaphysical when girls
Cheered on the sidelines. They were distracted by the people cheering. They become powerful
Tangled up in a falling.
Muscles were a bright motor
Double-flashing to the metal hoop
Nailed to our oak.
When Sonny Boy’s mama died SHIFT - All about the game
He played nonstop all day, so hard
Our backboard splintered.
Glistening with sweat, we jibed
& rolled the ball off our
fingertips. Trouble
Was there slapping a blackjack
Against an open palm. He played basketball to deal with his problems
Dribble, drive to the inside, feint,
& glide like a sparrow-hawk. The bird (FREEDOM)
Lay ups. Fast breaks.
We had moves we didn’t know
We had. Our bodies spun
On swivels of bone & faith, They were trusting their bodies to do the right thing
Through a lyric slipknot
Of joy, & we knew we were
Beautiful & dangerous...
An Analysis
To paraphrase, this poem is a trip through dealing with emotions. The speaker of the poem loves to play basketball, and feels very powerful by playing the sport and seeing the girls cheer for him. He loves the moment when the ball just hovers in the air before it goes into the net.
He also joined the basketball team because his mother died, and the team and the game help him forget, they help him stay happy.
The defining moment of this character's life is when his mom died. He learns how to stay happy. Which creates the theme that Good times can distract from what is really important in life.
He also joined the basketball team because his mother died, and the team and the game help him forget, they help him stay happy.
The defining moment of this character's life is when his mom died. He learns how to stay happy. Which creates the theme that Good times can distract from what is really important in life.