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“Riffs” — a poem by Mike Spikes

February 16th, 2016

Riffs

naked
her scar
Miles’ howling horn

spring morning sparrow
tripping across my sun-splashed lawn
Thelonious kisses the keys

holding her
Coltrane
playing my saxophone spine

_____

Mike Spikes is a professor of English at Arkansas State University. Most recently he has focused on writing haiku, many of which have appeared in Frogpond and Modern Haiku. “Riffs” is an effort at composing a jazz poem consisting of linked haiku-like stanzas.

Tags: jazz poetry, mike spikes, poetry

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