PPC2Britain: "F1: the poem"

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Some ask “why do i do it”

no answer to give

I just laugh and i smile

 cause that’s how i live

There’s this silence and I feel peace

Writing is where I find it

And when I do, I feel like nobody can touch me

Patience may slip to the rain on days not so sunny

Though in mind and in truth none are above me

They ask about the car, but I know the driver

5,000 pounds I win, I’ll match your fiver

Everything I did, I did for the team

Though neither “Apex” nor “TDE” 

Life goes fast, traveling the wind on a whim

Chances are slim, Plan Combat take what they give

They ask what i smile for

I smile cause that’s how i live

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The F1 movie was an action packed love story between a man and his purpose. The star of the film had an insatiable love for driving. The fast paced turns. The jostling for position. Even the danger that could end one’s career or even one’s life. This poem aims to capture that same feeling.

Writing is the engine that drives me. The feeling of being alone with my pen or the sweet singular sounds of my fingers gliding across a keyboard are divine to me. It is something that I find difficulty in explaining. This is my answer.

The primordial seven lines are offshoots of a climatic scene in the movie. He is asked why he still chooses to drive despite all that has happened to him. The star stares off the terrace into the distance. He utters a wistful chuckle. The final three lines of this opening seven are nearly direct quotes from the film. The subject of passion was changed, yet the sentiment reigns the same.

The next line hearkens to a pivotal moment of the film. A lack of patience caused this moment. The contrast between “rain” and “sunny” takes greater meaning as the star of the film’s name was “Sonny.” //For fear of spoiling the film I will halt further divulgence. I encourage you to watch and learn the deeper layers of this line, my auspicious audience!

The ninth, tenth and eleventh lines are a tribute to Sonny’s cocky and confident nature. Each utilizes a line from his interactions in the film. 

In truth, I feel that the potential and forthcoming execution of my literary abilities is unparalleled. The power of a poet lies within their pen. Only those who can maneuver it with mastery can truly be immortalized as legends. Some talents are born to be cultivated. Sonny’s journey has taught me that these fruits will prosper with the correct preparation, dedication and confidence. Regardless of the journey there, the destination at the pinnacle will be reached given that I continue to climb to it. What is, has been. What will be, is. //Therefore, how can I claim others are above me, when I know the pinnacle I will reach lies above them?

The tenth line, “they know the car, but I know the driver,” is possibly my favorite line from the film. A sports car can lose a race to a Kia Seoul given the driver is incapable of drawing out its latent ability. Our vessels and lives can be seen as such. The capabilities of one normal human are well drawn and known. Our bodies are normal, yet what makes a true maverick is the driver of this body. A celebrity is no different in biology than a homeless person. The successful seize the opportunity to operate ordinary tools and produce extraordinary works. This can be expanded to life and faith. Each day, we are given the same 24 hours. Each day, we breathe and attempt to make something of ourselves. However, we can only accomplish as much as the one who places their hands behind the wheel of our lives. //I am a normal human, yes, but I let Jesus take the wheel.

Line 11 is an ode to a wager during the film. This was ironic due to something that I had learned from my conversations with Marco. We had traded quirky nicknames for day-to-day items. One of which was that, in Britain, people would often refer to a five dollar bill as a “fiver.”

I have been addicted to Kendrick Lamar’s album “GNX” ever since I went to his concert with SZA in Atlanta. The song “the heart pt 6” shared a powerful sentiment with the film: Nobody is bigger than the team. The twelfth line cites one of Lamar’s lyrics from the song saying “Everything I did, I did for the team.”  The following line doubled down on this comparison.

“Plan Combat” is an ode to a key plot point of the film. I liken the reasoning behind this choice to my own experience. A career in mass media can be discouraging at the onset. In writing especially, the chances to truly break out and attain the heights of success are slim. However, I will always battle the odds with my pen.