stone #19
Posted 20 January, 2011 in aros, Audio Poems, My poems, Poetry, Stones
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/ / /
80 blocks with sushi in the middle
my idea of a walk in the city
/ / /
part of a river of stones
POEM: in which we cross east 27th street at high tide
Posted 18 January, 2011 in Audio Poems, Jazz, Music, My poems, Poetry
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I went to see Jeff “Tain” Watts, Robert Hurst and Steve Coleman tonight at Jazz Standard. I ended up chatting with Coleman and John Szwed, author of the definitive book on Sun Ra. I put into this poem bits of our conversation, song titles and phrases inspired by the setting and performance.
in which we cross east 27th street at high tide
ancient ways, gold days & spaceways
with an iced tea & a side of fries
how’s the weather in Bahia?
here in New York the street-corner
gutter is a river with no ferry boat
so we turn the string bass on its side
use the bow as a paddle
& since Michael isn’t around
Robert rows us ashore
to the warm lands
where we will know despair no more
(catch the Hail Mary as it spills from her lips)
“how ’bout a hand for the band, the guys?
it ain’t me — we’d play all night”
stone #18
Posted 18 January, 2011 in aros, Audio Poems, My poems, Poetry, Stones
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/ / /
the house is just stirring
but I am holding on to sleep
as if it were the warmth
of an absent lover
/ / /
part of a river of stones
stone #16
Posted 16 January, 2011 in aros, Audio Poems, Family, My poems, Poetry, Stones
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/ / /
his small hand in mine
“I love you, Dada”
my arm around his shoulders
“I love you, too”
/ / /
part of a river of stones
stone #14
Posted 14 January, 2011 in aros, Audio Poems, My poems, Poetry, Stones
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/ / /
I need a Life Positioning System
to orient myself among once-familiar landmarks
does Garmin make one of those?
/ / /
part of a river of stones
POEM: The Blues
Posted 14 January, 2011 in Audio Poems, Music, My poems, Poetry, Travel
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I wrote this on the bus from Albany to New York City.
The Blues
1.
it all goes back to the blues
that’s what they’d have you believe
the gravel your boots crunch
must lead to a dusty crossroad
every baby’s cry is a bottleneck slide
on the worn strings of a scarred guitar
whiskey runs from the kitchen faucet
the radiator’s busted so body heat will have to do
2.
snowscape bus rides to big city lights
he’s seated across from a pale redhead
who looks like she’s crying but isn’t
he pretends to be watching the trees
safe in the anonymity of sunglasses
they won’t be meeting later in a juke joint
she won’t nurse a beer or lean in close
to hear him over the sound of the band
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WHO?
Jason Crane is the host of the The Jazz Session, the online jazz interview show. His first collection of poems, Unexpected Sunlight (FootHills Publishing, 2010) is now available. Named by the LA Times as one of 25 arts & culture people to follow on Twitter. (Read the full bio.)
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