• Erratic Fire, Erratic Passion

    by  • February 26, 2013 • Basketball, Jeff Parker, Poetry • 8 Comments

    MettaWorldPeace

    A Poem Assembled from Metta World Peace (aka Ron Artest) Quotes

    I don’t shake substitutions’ hands.
    I lose my feet.
    I’d like to thank my psychiatrist.

    I felt something,
    But I didn’t know it was an actual head.
    I knew somebody suffered something at that point.
    There were a lot of emotions in that game.
    I can’t worry about that.
    I have to try to get the ball.

    Kobe passed me the ball.
    Kobe never passed me the ball.
    And I could hear Phil Jackson–
    He’s the Zen master,
    So you can just hear him in your head.
    Saying, “Don’t shoot don’t shoot!”
    And bam! I shot it.

    I was lying down when I got hit with a liquid,
    Ice and glass on my chest and on my face.
    Nobody ever just threw anything at me
    With the exception of a few times.

    After that, it was self-defense.
    I’ll take the blame for that. It’s my fault.
    Stunned. So stunned. It’s stunning.
    Erratic fire, erratic passion.

    We maximize it by playing together,
    Loving each other,
    Caring for each other.
    Kind of like the Care Bears.
    You know the Care Bears?
    They care for each other.

    I partied in July hard.
    You got to party.
    You can’t just be a boring guy for 12 months, right?
    You got to party hard in July.

    Why are you staring at me, daughter?
    Did you throw that?
    Jack, you think we going to get in trouble?
    Let me see
    How I can answer your question
    Without giving you a good quote.

    Jeff Parker

    About

    Jeff Parker is the Co-Founder and Director of the DisQuiet International Literary Program, and the author of the novel Ovenman and the short story collection The Taste of Penny. He has taught at the University of Toronto and Eastern Michigan University, and currently he is the Director of the Low Residency MFA in Creative Writing at the University of Tampa.

    8 Responses to Erratic Fire, Erratic Passion

    1. Mike Alber (@malber)
      February 27, 2013 at 15:59

      greatest Metta World Peace found poetry I’ve ever read.

      Reply
      • The Barnstormer
        The Barnstormer
        February 27, 2013 at 16:02

        Thanks, Mr. Alber. Coincidentally, you’re The Barnstormer’s favourite Eastern Michigan/Ohio alum TV writer over 6’4″!

        Reply
    2. angelacbartlett
      February 27, 2013 at 16:43

      This is amazing.

      Reply
    3. realsupergirl
      February 27, 2013 at 17:19

      Hope it’s ok, I’ve re-published your found poem in Poetic Medicine, the literary blog I edit. I think it’s brilliant. Let me know if this is a problem. I’ve linked your blog in the post.
      http://poetrypill.blogspot.com/2013/02/erratic-fire-erratic-passion.html

      Reply
      • The Barnstormer
        The Barnstormer
        February 27, 2013 at 17:26

        Great! Thanks so much, but please note that The Barnstormer is not “the author’s blog”, but rather a literary sports journal. Thanks!

        Reply
    4. Mike Gaynor
      February 27, 2013 at 21:01

      MWP, otherwise known as Run Our Test, is more fun to watch on and off the court then any other NBA player!

      Reply
    5. klani
      February 27, 2013 at 23:29

      Awesome.

      Reply
    6. erwin
      February 28, 2013 at 09:22

      WE LOVE METTA WORLD PEACE! WE WANT MORE OF HIM.

      Reply

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