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The Sunday Poem is published weekly, and strives to include the poet reading their work.
C.J. Trotter reads her poem at its conclusion.
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Baby Hendrix Howl
…………….for A.M.
Three days since this baby’s birth,
there’s nothin’ cuter on this earth. But
the crib can’t seem to hold him, tight
cottony swaddling meant to enfold him.
He thunders electric, skyscraping wails,
ear-piercing notes atop a chromatic scale.
Metal bars no hindrance for that piercing
shriek, that baby call. His real name’s Art,
but he’s already Hendrix to us all. Uh-oh.
No way. Oh no. That bundling bunting
eight pounds of baby dough, a tiny face
with a colossal mouth of O!
Small eyes and nose sliding ‘neath
a soulful yowl. Though unsuspecting,
he’s already juicin’ rock ‘n roll. Like
Jimi H, he bellows high-volume blues
with his wah-wah, Uni-Vibe and Suzie Q’s.
At ten, he’ll be askin’ for tattoos!
His lungs gotta be humongous, amped up in
overdrive, built-in tone-altering effects, fuzz
distortion, bees off the hive. Surmise him at twelve,
stereophonic, high-velocity licks, feedback from
a Fender Strat. Playin’ his axe with his teeth—
’cause he don’t need no stinkin’ pics!
Even now asleep, Art diggin’ deep,
he be sparkin’ the tremolo. Dreamin’
contrapuntal motion, boltin’ arpeggio.
Wild Thing can set a room on fire with just
a toothless squeal, stir things inside
our bodies we never thought we’d feel.
Sing loud, sing true, croon
authentic you, rock out
you Art-ful melody. Pulse
world, quake love, chant you,
paint glee, just truly joyful be.
Joyful we. Joyous be.
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Listen to C.J. Trotter read her poem
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C. J. Trotter (a.k.a. Christine Trotter) is a poet and fiction writer based in New York City. She has been nominated for 2024’s Best of the Net, and one of her poems was published in Poetry Daily. Her work has appeared in RockPaperPoem, Euphony, Crack the Spine, FishFood, Spank the Carp, Elm, Typehouse, Cimarron Review, and Jerry Jazz Musician, among other publications.
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Listen to the 1968 recording of Jimi Hendrix performing his composition “Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)” [Legacy Recordings]
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Click for:
More poetry on Jerry Jazz Musician
“Bluesette,” Salvatore Difalco’s winning story in the 67th Jerry Jazz Musician Short Fiction Contest
More short fiction on Jerry Jazz Musician
Information about how to submit your poetry or short fiction
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