jazz singers

 

walk fast in the night

run down deep corridors

find the beginning of rivers

get shovels and start digging

 

move through ice caves

sing clear blue melting pools

rainbow arrows of songs

past skyscrapers and fields

 

they trip and fall

with words and melodies

short skirts, high boots

polka dot ties, blue shoes

 

window panes iridescent

smoky pain slipping 

through feverish

lyrics

 

they slide past the moon

in their jupiter shoes

eyes glittering 

watersongs

 

songs that spit

songs that caress

songs that soothe

songs that inspire

 

fire songs

earth songs

warm songs

violet songs

 

jazz singers don't take any mess

from anybody

they sing what they want

they step aside when the music speaks

 

they don't trample on your mind

disturb your equilibrium

or otherwise disrupt

a perfectly good message

 

the message 

is the heartbeat

the soul of the song

the door that opens

 

the image 

that gives you 

the feeling

that you're after 

 

jazz singers

don't spell it out

they leave it up to you

to interpret

 

a nuance

a question

perhaps an unrequited 

lost love

 

perhaps a lilac tree

perhaps a 

blues

symphony

 

maybe a poor butterfly

or a little red top

or a slow boat to china

or i put a spell on you....

 

lulled to dreaming

those jazz singers

keep their eyes closed

and dance you to the end of love

 

Sarah James 

4.3.13 

April is Jazz and Poetry Month Slam

Poem #3 of 30