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“Listening to Ellington’s Dusk” — a poem by CJ Muchhala

August 5th, 2021

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photo by William Gottlieb/Library of Congress

Duke Ellington, New York, c. 1946

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Listening to Ellington’s Dusk

water
………….cold
……………………pleating
…………………………………over
…………………………………against

………….rock
……………………planted

……………………………………………………deep
……………………………………….stolid

……………………………………….under

…………………………………leaves

……………………cupped

……………………………………………………catch
……………………air

……………………………………….currents
……………………………………….cool

……………………………………….ripple
…………………………………heron
……………………moon

………….faces
………….silvered

……………………reflect

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___

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CJ Muchhala has absolutely no musical ability but a great deal of appreciation for and love of jazz and blues. She does, however, try to make music with words which have found their way into a number of journals, anthologies, and art/poetry exhibits.

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Listen to the 1940 recording of Duke Ellington and His Orchestra playing “Dusk”

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Tags: CJ Muchhala, duke ellington, jazz poetry, poetry

One comments on ““Listening to Ellington’s Dusk” — a poem by CJ Muchhala”

Daniel Brown says:

August 9, 2021 at 3:40 am

I love Duke from this period (actually most periods) but wasn’t familiar with Dusk. Thanks for the poem and introducing me to the composition.

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