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“Metaphysic-Ali” by Martel Chapman

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Life Is . . .

a Saturday night
Blue Note
jam session
chaotic improvisation
settling into discordant conjunction
forming a cacophony
of erratic rhythm
harmonizing
off-key
in-sync
a one-time only composition
experienced in an ungraspable haze
of unquantifiable exhilaration,
a kaleidoscope
of agony’s beauty
never to be duplicated

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Antoinette F. Winstead is a poet, playwright, director, and actor living in San Antonio, Texas, where she’s a professor at Our Lady of the Lake University. Her poetry has appeared in several publications, including The Woman Inc., Texas Poetry Assignment, Voices de la Luna, Langdon Review, Texas Ballot Poetry, and The Poet Magazine. Her poem “JAZZ” received First Place for the 2020 Persimmon Prize. She is currently President of the Alamo Area Poets of Texas.

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Martel Chapman  found artistic inspiration in Francis Wolff’s cover photograph of John Coltrane’s Blue Train album, and has been creating art honoring the artistic genius of jazz music ever since.

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Listen to Thelonious Monk play “Bye-ya,” a 1963 recording featuring Charlie Rouse (tenor sax), John Ore (bass) and Frankie Dunlop (drums). 

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