By The Music Inspired - Selected Poems
In The Pocket & The Request
In The Pocket
There are those
who dress themselves in so much glitz
so much movement to their expression
believe that they say so much
that they have got that certain
magic touch
and
there are those who speak,
so they say,
words of the soul
their language full of pizzazz
all that jazz
believing an impression
has been made
and then
there are those
who sit in the pocket,
in the pocket
in the pocket of their souls
and speak volumes with their simplicity
a language so beautiful
so full of life
in the pocket
in the pocket of their souls
they rocket the mind
to heights of joy
thoughts become notes
the heart listens
doesn’t just look,
records the sensation
the conversation
that is truly being had
they hear the lines
and don’t have to read between
oh yes
and there are those
who present themselves
packaged so wonderfully
who riff a thousand times
and try to push themselves into your mind
pounding on the door
time after time
with opulence supreme
trying to create a picture
conjure up a dream
so it seems
their musical verbality
wasted in the air
and
then there are those
who sit in the pocket
in the pocket
in the pocket of their souls
and silently speak above the din
walking into your mind
connecting the heart and soul
communicating the melody
that is created from the collaboration of these
you hear the music
pure as it was meant to be
unadulterated
by
the glitter and the flash
making you a part of the dance
gently pulling you into the creators trance
into the pocket
the pocket
the pocket of his soul
which is the goal of the musician
to have you dance
dance in the pocket
in the pocket of his soul
Inspired by Oye Lo Que Te Conviene (Eddie Palmieri)
as Played by Sergio Rivera’s Grupo Caribe
Solo by Louis Bauzo - Bongó
at Gonzalez y Gonzalez
Manhattan, New York
The Request
Mr. Trumpet Man
play a slow tune for me
a slow
bluesy tune
that fills me full of memory
that carries me back
to yesterday
when I was there
and not here
One song
slow and deliberate
let the piano cry
softly in the background
as I fly with you
to that place once more
where I used to be
you know that corner
in all our memories
where we hide things
store things
and cover them up
so that no one knows
they are there
Except for a moment
like this
when Mr. Trumpet Man
you play that song
that takes me there
and I lift the sheets
that covers
that melancholic pile
of bittersweet recollections
Just for this moment play
along Mr. Trombone Man
help me to look underneath
as Mr. Sax Man
begins to blow and recall
what it was like before
something went wrong and Mr. Piano Man started to play
tinkling in and out of my heart
Mr. trumpet Man
Play that song for me
but end it soon
and bring me back to today
where I need to be!
Inspired By Easy Living (Leo Robin - Ralph Rainger)
as Played by Manny Duran Y Afro Bop
solos by Manny Duran on Trumpet, Charles Owens on Tenor Sax
Sam Burgess on Trombone, Jörg Kräckel on Piano
Savoy Lounge
Manhattan, New York