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Jazz Music poetry Short Stories Uncategorized

tuesday night & the music

there was a fortuitous parking space

in an alley near 7th & race

which was right outside my

tuesday night & the music

 

a homeless man sat on a concrete bench

beneath a too perfect tree in the adjoining

corporate sponsored park

 

he smiled at me

as he hummed

the way we were

then looked away

 

my cross walk became irrelevant

glass door with a silver handle grateful

 

into the rosemary clooney room

welcomed by a doorman bantering into a smile

and a newly relocated owner gleeful about overflowing tables

 

entering sparkling

full glide

through a crowded cocktail vigil of cool kids and cast offs

mingling acquaintances and aficionados

comparing scars

sharing polite war stories

 

so flawed and beautiful

explaining how they know the band

before the late show

 

the table chosen was in the second row

straight out from the bench of the steinway & sons piano

behind the reserved seats

 

black cloth immaculate

fred hersch trio playbill

candle no longer lit

my first request of the waiter

is for a match to relight it

as i would not be able to hear the jazz

without the fire burning

 

my second request was for a manhattan

 

kitchen clamor and invading garlic and lemon aromas

fade to less

when the show begins

 

i deprive myself of nothing

as the notes fall from the maestro’s fingers

wind dancing with

the autumn leaves of garfield place

 

i gaze at the rigging above the stage

beyond the rim

of my just arrived martini glass

 

a french quarter deep purple dream

the light fixtures

are red velvet wedding cakes

hung upside down

their red inner glow

covered with an off white cream

 

hovering above

jerome kern, miles davis, and thelonious monk standards

ah, but it was an original piece that turned the world on

 

entitled sad poet

 

brought to our feet by a drummer who knows secrets

 

a bassist making love with his fingers to her supple curves

covered in strings

 

and a pale humble man

bent in majesty

over a piano

 

i resist the urge to journalize

leaving notebook and pen in my purse

let it happen for god’s sake let it happen

 

noticing

 

the man seated to the right of me

needs this night in the worst way

double johnnie walkers on the rocks

as he anguishes to the delicious sound

 

the man seated to my left

hopes i am in the mood

for angels to fall

 

the set includes

skipping

boy

the song is you

and i fall in love too easily
to name a few

 

a standing ovation coupled with lingering applause

before the room

was left stunned by th gentle encore

 

the man began to conjure

valentine

with the black and white keys

 

as the people who were truly seeing the music

bowed their heads

wept

and closed their eyes

 

i complied

 

this is when

he touched the back of my hand

 

 

 

 

 

 

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