James Cleveland was born a star
In a small Alabama town
With Henry and Emma at his side
Love was all around
When the family arrived in Cleveland
J.C. was a tender eight
When his teacher mispronounced
His name, Jesse could no longer wait
Rich with hope, the Owens’
Were poor financially
Jesse took on odd jobs
And delivered groceries
All while he loaded freight
And worked in shoe shine shops
Jesse’s passion for mobility
And for running could not stop
Cleveland East Technical High
Was an incubator for the star
Who would inspire generations
Among us here and those afar
Jesse could run
Many colleges wanted him
The universities wanted him
But Jesse decided upon one
Ohio State University
The time was tense in 1933
Jim Crow was still being shady
Jesse had to live off-campus
Accompanied by “Blacks Only”
On May 25th, 1935
Three world records, he beat
All with a pain in his back
For a week leading up to the meet
At the Big Ten meet in Ann Arbor
Jesse showed his mastery
Of poetry of motion
And did it remarkably
That flight of stairs didn’t stop him
He ran the 100-yard dash
That nasty fall didn’t keep him
He saw victory at last!
A short fifteen minutes later,
Jesse did the broadest jump
Surpassing the world record
In my throat, I feel a lump
Nothing could stop him
He went for the 220-yard dash
And the 220-yard low hurdles
Jesse embodied the music of fast
The Olympics of 1936 made history
The gold medals that others tasted
Came home on the neck of Jesse
Run, Jesse, Run ...
The 100-meter dash
The 200-meter dash
The broad jump
And saved energy
For a part in the 400-meter relay
To win four gold medals in a single Olympics
Jesse was the first in history
Though because of his color of skin
No endorsements he could see
A poor family the Owens’ were
And in poverty, they continued to be
With nothing else but his gift
Jesse ran professionally
In exhibitions against baseball players,
Motorcycles, and thoroughbreds
Jesse would run and hold up
His proud and weary head
A lecturer and sponsor
Jesse would later become
A husband and father of three
Whose love will linger on
Though a 1976 "Medal of Freedom"
Our Jesse did receive
It wasn’t until he ran on home
That he saw his victory
So proud we must be to know him
So honorable it is to honor him
So timely it is to acknowledge
That a statue of Jesse we must see
____________________
The Evans Poetry Collection
P.O. Box 2177
Oak Park, IL 60303-2177
