Monday, December 23, 2013

West End Blues


Here:  Play this before reading. . .




Listening to Louis Armstrong “West End Blues”

In New Orleans at the funeral,
the band sadly jazzes down the street
people celebrate but in melancholy not just for who was lost
--not just for the sadness of the family
but for everyone’s shared sadness that the things we love, the things most beautiful to us
come, get known to us,
and leave just as sure as the days arrive and steadily transform into night
and then change to give us some other new day
Oh mama, only your love has been here throughout
and holds steady through the steady comings and goings
the way the notes of jazz flow on,
stopping only to give the fellas a break
to change the reeds

1 comment:

  1. I loved listening to the track as I read your poem, Michael.
    These lines resonated with me:
    "...the things most beautiful to us
    come, get known to us,
    and leave just as sure as the days arrive and steadily transform into night..."
    Powerful imagery and sentiment, too.
    Have a nice break, my friend.
    Kevin
    PS -- I should mention that I am on a #nerdlution goal of adding 50 comments to 50 blogs over 50 days, and you're now in my mix. Of course, I would have come here and commented, anyway.
    :)

    ReplyDelete