Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Facing West

The Jazz station is playing Chet Baker
something recorded near the end of his life
he sounded like chocolate
if chocolate
was ravaged by heroin
and time.

In Europe, Jazz is revered
crowds jam darkened doorways
and tiny tables lit by unscented candles
at clubs like Ronnie Scott's
or The Vortex
which could also be a metaphor for all of this.

The shoulder cracks under the weight
I stop for a moment to consider the red sky
and why they jump from buildings
Baker, McCorkle...
they wore their scars
softly, I think

like rain.

© 2011 A.g. Synclair

6 comments:

  1. Did you know that vortex waves also exist in magnets? :)

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  2. "The shoulder cracks under the weight"

    I liked how this was interjected into the subject of Chet Baker's life and sound(heroin-ravaged chocolate) and coming after The Vortex.

    Nicely crafted.

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  3. Very nice jazz poem. I know this is a little old, but not in that sense. Reminds me of the Beats, A.g. And you write like 'em, too.

    Off to read more now.

    Best wishes,
    Ryan

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