LOS ANGELES – A poem for Kobe Bryant, written by Loureen Ayyoub.

 

In a City of Angels,

Every now and then a light arises that is impossible to miss.

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His name is Kobe Bean Bryant 

And his legacy of excellence shall always be missed.

At the young age of 17,

Already his bold hunger could be seen.

 

Playing on every TV screen

And in every living room,

He changed simply every room

He walked into.

 

Kobe taught us to resist

the temptation of quitting.

And see that’s why the “Mamba Mentality” is oh so fitting.

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He fought every battle with tenacity and determination.

Giving athletes and dreamers the ultimate inspiration.

That if you work hard your dreams could come true

That with grit and confidence, 

there’s nothing you can’t do.

 

In a City of Angels,

Every now and then a light arises

that is impossible to miss.

 

And the Black Mamba showed us what it truly means to persist.

That if you make the most of every second you’ve been granted,

Hey maybe, just maybe, your name will be chanted.

 

But the cheers and the glory are

only half of the story.

Kobe Bryant re-defined the L.A. territory.

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He brought a city together 

In ways no one ever could.

When people doubted his capability,

He proved that they never should.

 

He gave his body heart and soul to L.A.

Making a way 

For a new generation.

Making Angelenos so proud to rep the Laker Nation.

 

In a City of Angels,

Every now and then a light arises

that is impossible to miss

And Kobe’s contagious courage, it’s hard to dismiss.

 

See he faced challenge and adversity with wisdom and grace,

Learning from the past, but never giving up on the race.

In fact he excelled beyond human expectation

Showing us the power of precise calculation. 

 

At age 27 he dropped 81

Teaching us that the impossible can always be done.

And even during his last game on the court, 

His motivation never fell short.

He sunk 60 points

And still showed us that was never even the point.

 

You see It was his limitless devotion,

That was the potion,

To sparking a revolution in L.A.

For dreamers to reach higher, no matter what’s in the way.

 

A family man full of faith and perseverance,

He never let excuses become an interference. 

 

In a City of Angels,

Every now and then a light arises

that is impossible to miss.

From eight to 24

Kobe always gave us more.

 

And while we must say goodbye for now to the beloved Black Mamba.

He didn’t come this far for L.A. to only hopelessly grieve.

He came this far to plant an undying seed.

 

See the Mamba Mentality it lives in you and I

Reminding us that we too, can surely fly.

Resilience was in his bloodline,

But it is also in yours 

And in mine.

 

Pushing us to make the most of each day that we have been given.

To defy the obstacles and still stay driven.

 

See there was no real giant,

In the eyes of 

Kobe Bryant.

Because he never let fear hinder his 

divine destination.

 

And his greatest wish for you and I, is to live with the same brave, determination.