Life stories fill with the forgotten

Overlooked by the small world at large

Overcoming, life’s spirit takes charge

 

Victims of ridicule and slander

Entering life’s game as underdogs

Trailblazing amazing monologues

 

Asking, “Do you believe in miracles?”

 

Orchestrating man’s quest for a cause

Representing smallest underdogs

Breathing life into new dialogues

 

Dealing with dark, social injustice

Led by a resolute man, named King

Peacemakers marching, civil rights rings

 

Daily life recalls profound upsets

“David versus Goliath” contests

Lessons taught from these demanding tests

 

Smallish Texas Western steps forward

Meeting great Kentucky on the court

Historic win transcends college sports

 

Never dismiss the ugly duckling

Therein lies a most beautiful swan

Beauty, from deep inside, to act on

 

Crippled at birth, yet strong in spirit

“Forest Gump” defies the odds on his way

Encouraging us on life’s highway

 

Holding underdogs close to our hearts

Feeling lost, little to celebrate

Beating back the odds, changing life’s fate

 

Three different events are highlighted in this poem, with each one claiming a distinct place in America’s cultural perspective of life.  The civil rights movement is greatly influenced the leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  One of the greatest college sports upsets takes place in 1966 when Texas Western upsets Kentucky.  While civil rights continues to move forward, the racial landscape of college basketball is forever transformed as Texas Western’s all-black line-up outplays Kentucky’s all-white line-up.  The film “Forest Gump” touches countless hearts with its inspiring story.