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“Remembering Mose,” a poem by John Kendall Hawkins

March 14th, 2024

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Image of Mose Allison by John L. Hawkins

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Remembering Mose

I was streaming The Fabulous Baker Boys
the other night and thought
it reminded me of the times I drank to
Mose Allison — in Boston, in DC —
and how righteous he was singing
Everybody Cries Mercy
(nobody has a clue about the word,
all around us off-Broadway absurd)
and the loneliness
he must have felt playing such dives
for chump change, and to folks like me,
drunk, existential, recently divorced
and on the prowl for Michelle Pfeiffer,
although any catwoman would do.
I’ll drink to that.

And I drank to that.

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John Kendall Hawkins is an American freelance writer currently residing in Australia. His poetry, commentary and reviews have appeared in publications in Oceania, Europe, and the US. He is a regular contributor to Counterpunch magazine. He is a former winner of the Academy of American Poets prize.

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Click here to read previous editions of The Sunday Poem

Click here to read “A Collection of Jazz Poetry – Winter, 2024 Edition”

Click here to read “The Old Casino,” J.B. Marlow’s winning story in the 64th 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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Tags: jazz poetry, John Kendall Hawkins, mose allison, poetry

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