Turns out he is a sweet enough guy
and his Parkinson’s is not as bad as they say.
Told me he had heard of me
— we had the same draft board in Houston
in the Sixties back when he was Cassius Clay.
George, he said, getting old is a bitch.
Best thing to do’s get back in the ring,
come out of hiding, give and take a punch
or two. That way, leas’ you go down fighting.
***
An actual dream and real facts. Ali and I shared a draft board and opinions on the Vietnam War. He was black. I am white;. He went to jail. I went to Canada for the same reasons, roughly. And now I’ve been diagnosed with #PD..