Dennis Danzinger was challenged by his students to write a poem, and here he shares it with us.
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Every year I introduce my high school students to the song, “I’ve Been Everywhere,” written by Geoff Mack and made famous by Johnny Cash. I believe that an American high school education is incomplete if a student has not read Kurt Vonnegut, seen The Godfather Parts I and II and knows a few Johnny Cash songs.
I ask my students to use the song as a jumping off point to write their own song/poem. Some wrote that they have skated or surfed or talked or ate or cried or slept everywhere. And when my students challenged me to do the assignment, I composed the attached, “I’ve Balled Everywhere,” based on more than five decades of playing basketball.
I’ve Balled Everywhere
By Dennis Danziger
I was shooting hoops at Moore Park,
Watching my three-pointers drop,
When this shirtless, tattooed brutha quipped,
“You musta had some game back in the day, Pop.”
I ignored this poser for as long as I could stand,
Then I looked him in the eye said,
“I balled everywhere man,
I balled everywhere.”
I balled in Westwood, Brentwood, and Hollywood,
I balled in suburbs, and in the ‘hood, where I was pretty damn good.
I balled in Houston, Austin, Boston, River Oaks,
That’s where George Bush grew up; what a joke.
I balled in daylight and in the dark,
I balled in Mar Vista and Central Park.
I balled everywhere man,
I balled everywhere.
I balled in Converse All-Stars that we called Chucks,
Balled against hustlers who took my twenty bucks.
I balled in Jordans, Nikes and PF Flyers,
But none of them kicks could make this white boy jump higher.
I balled everywhere man,
I balled everywhere.
I balled wired on coffee, and once I balled high on weed,
Yet none of that stuff affected my speed.
Had White Man’s Disease since I was a kid,
Couldn’t get off the ground, whatever substance I did.
I balled with short hair and when I let my hair go,
I balled in college with a six-inch Afro
I balled against Jimmy Blacklock who coaches the Harlem Globetrotters,
And once on the court I was mistaken for the dude in “Welcome Back Kotter.”
I balled everywhere man,
I balled everywhere.
I played Horses against my daughter; went one-on-one with my son,
Balled on DC playgrounds with a whole grip of thugs.
Balled in seven a.m. pick up games on UCLA’s courts,
With professors and eggheads and a bunch of old farts.
I balled against teachers from Venice and Samohi,
Learned when it comes to the score, some teachers will lie.
I balled on church courts and on New York City streets,
Where you can go up for a rebound and come down dead meat.
I balled against Kobe in the Pali high gym,
He dunked on me twice; I couldn’t touch the rim.
I balled everywhere man,
I balled everywhere.
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