1. Homage for Shearing
a cascade of fingers
plunk 88 triggers
shoot a brocade
of gold and silver
and magic fascination
while notes ricochet’d
off nodding heads
tapping knees
and whiskey shivers
the blind tapestry
of dazzling touch
jazzman beyond others
so we shot scotch
in his honor
but he did too often
till day of his undoing
we listened till the end
and did again and again
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2. This one’s for Jimmy
tuned his machine
in torn blue jeans
shot staccato bullets
in ruptured air
opaque dreams
of 6 steel strings
not of this earth
but led somewhere
in a sky above
chaotic
a spectrum symphonic
narcotic
and cut his teeth
on the Chitlin scene
setting fire
to sonic desire
_________________________________________________________________
3. Coltrane Got Nothin On Me
when you wanted me
to behave
sexually
like a musical instrument
but the reed was broken
to your saxophone
with Satchmo cheeks
like a puffer fish
all you got
was my gusty whiff
of a dog whistle
to car alarms and howling
I took out
my harmonica
floated petals
of pink tulips
but I weren’t famous
nor paid enough
a bouquet in your arms
you left forever
but your dog loved me
*****
[All paintings are ink and watercolor. Each painting is approximately 4 1/2″ x 7 1/2″ on 400# watercolor paper.]
