Kobe’s got his ball

His form 

His 20 year commitment to the Lakers wearing 8 24

that mamba mentality that has the world shaking in

wonder

as one of the greats that started off 

in the Lower Merion of society rose 

and rose 

to the tippity top of that 10 ft stand

to where he, Shaq, and Jordan had all dunked, freethrown, and threed before 

But now

now

He’s gone 

on to dunk, free throw, and three with his daughter Giana 

and with the seven others 

who were on that dreaded machine 

which was going up

for a supposedly clean slam dunk 

but which tripped

30 ft from the basket of the clouds

and fell 

then crashed

just like Kobe 

when he tore his Achilles,

so.

So

how can we measure up 

to one of the Laker greats

all clad in purple and gold? 

Is it possible to keep looking up,

up

where Kobe, Giana, and the seven others reside

to keep their memory alive?

Here’s how 

and I’ll tell you now: 

whenever you’re tired from studying towards 

that dreaded ACT,

your bodies wrecked from all the sets 

you’ve pushed, pulled, or lifted

and there’s no one there to cheer you on,

no one there to push you to the finish line —

look up

think of the Kobe 

who never got stuck

and almost never ( only once)

left his fate 

up to luck.