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photo by William Gottlieb/Library of Congress
Thelonious Monk, Minton’s Playhouse, New York, N.Y., c. Sept. 1947
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Invariable Thelonious
……….In Nine Haikus
Scattered discordant
……..Symbols woven into lines
Across blank white pages
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Angled harmony
……..Discordant trinkles jump strict
Tinkles follow close
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Elegant jewel
……..Lost love sorrow now grown dear
Discordant Ruby
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Nica’s Bentley rolls
……..Stalwarts seated handsomely
Dig discordant play
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Soft in setting light
……..Comes discordant enchantment
Nellie takes time out
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Discordant confab
……..Each carries color toned fit
Brush on Bud’s palette
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Indistinct proud bloom
……..Seed discordant progeny
Renew nature’s waltz
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Flow big river hard bright
……..Through discordant countrysides
To salted water
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Crystal melody
……..Chilled properly discordant
Quench desire’s thirst
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Terrance Underwood is a retired Gas Turbine Package Engineer whose career offered opportunities to work all over the world. A devoted jazz enthusiast, his first memory operating a mechanical devise was a 4-speed spindle drop record changer for his father’s collection of 78s.
Click here to read Proceeding From Behind: A collection of poems grounded in the rhythmic, relating to the remarkable, by Terrance Underwood
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Listen to the 1954 recording of Thelonious Monk performing “Trinkle, Tinkle,” with Gary Mapp (bass); and Max Roach (drums). [Universal Music Group]
Associated Performer, Bass ( Vocal): Gary Mapp Associated Performer, Drums: Max Roach Associated Performer, Piano: Thelonious Monk
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Click here to read previous editions of The Sunday Poem
Click here to read “A Collection of Jazz Poetry – Spring/Summer, 2024 Edition”
Click here to read “Not From Around Here,” Jeff Dingler’s winning story in the 66th Jerry Jazz Musician Short Fiction Contest
Click here for information about how to submit your poetry or short fiction
Click here to subscribe to the (free) Jerry Jazz Musician quarterly newsletter
Click here to help support the ongoing publication of Jerry Jazz Musician, and to keep it commercial-free (thank you!)
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Jerry Jazz Musician…human produced (and AI-free) since 1999
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