McDaniel and JacksonIn

     In Jeffrey McDaniel’s  “The Church of Michael Jordan” there is a heavy presence of faith. The player is putting his faith in God to help him accomplish his goals while he plays basketball. He makes sure to pray before his games but from the way that he corrected himself when talking to the interviewer shows that he wants to keep his relationship with God and his faith private. He is often called the baller of destiny but he does not believe that his success is simply his destiny. He puts his faith into his beliefs in God and in the beginning of the poem he says that the hoop is no longer a hoop but instead it is God’s arms connected in a circle and that God is saying to throw the ball to him. God is the hoop and he is not just going for the net for but he is putting his faith and victories into the hands of his Lord who is calling to him. He says that he will let faith roll off of his fingertips and the ball float into the net. The stadium silent and holding their breath but the Lord’s invisible presence and guidance of the ball is what the fans in the stadium will claim they have witnessed a miracle when the player believes that it is just the Lord being visible for a brief instant to help guide him in his work.

    The poetry of Kara Jackson is about embracing ones own body, felinity, and self. Similar to Mcdaniels poetry, Jackson’s poetry is about something so regular in our culture and the author having an alternative mindset of the events. In something so american as baseball or something so popular in society as having to adhere to a specific body type , there are people who are in the box of “other”. Those who do not check the box of “basketball is a sport that you need talent for alone” and “you have to be skinny”. These two poems are similar in that they talk about relationships. The relationship between God and the Relationships  that we have with ourselves. Basketball is a sport that professionally is  predominately African American and Michael Jordan who is in the title is also a Black male basketball star who’s talent is world renowned. Black men and women have stereotypes put on them and people judge and have preconceived notions about their bodies, their talents, and their lives. There is no set list of what Black men and women have to do. They are in charge of their own bodies, relationships, and lives. These two poems show the hidden relationships that people may not consider exist, especially with Black  people, that are very natural but are not always talked about.

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