Ode to Ronaldinho After Making the Bernabéu Applaud

he is a centaur            galloping across the pitch,

a current,            bright & live.

his sleek, sable ponytail            & blaugrana stripes move so swift

the commentator repeats his name            like a chant. those feet are blessed.

the backline tears back,            their cleats & arms parting way

with his feints & turn of pace.            no defense could block the net

disturbed by the ball's            low roll past the post.

the crowd's defiant            cries turn to silence, then applause,

a clapping chorus 80,000 strong,            exulting what they can't describe.

                 //

i have never made opponents fold              at my feet like that night in Madrid.

i viewed his brace again & again            on my computer screen, seeking the secret

of his technique: how he kept close control            over the ball & needed one turn to beat a man.

in my backyard, i made phantom foes            sway with my dribbling & pace, winning

praise with each shot i ricocheted            off tree trunks & walls, until my last attempt

cracked a window & my mother            handed me an indefinite outdoor ban.

Hank Willis Thomas. "Perseverance" (2017). Fiberglass, chameleon auto paint finish. 39 3/8 × 31 7/8 × 8 1/8 inches. © Hank Willis Thomas. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York.