Poem: “International Jazz Day”

April 30: 30 days of new poems for National Poetry Month

International Jazz Day

Hearing the house’s morning silence and interpreting it
as uneasiness, I opt for the radio, with its frequency
invariably set to a left-of-the-dial station. I recognize Monk’s
solo take on “Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea,”
followed by “Better Git It In Your Soul” and the stuttering
groove of “Strode Rode.” I have lost some 15 minutes of
bright morning now, but gained the day’s benediction. With
the blinds partly open, the floor wears a stave of sun and shadow.

A month ago I was a fool. I am less so today. More skeptical,
less trusting, I poke and prod a story before accepting its
premise. I prefer the clarity of sentences in the instrumental
case. I reject the idea that actions speak louder than words,
if only because words are actions. Listen to Coltrane’s
“Part 4: “Psalm,” and you’ll realize the reverse is true as well.