The Sunday Poem: “I Thought About You” by Connie Johnson

April 30th, 2023

The Sunday Poem is published weekly, and strives to include the poet reading their work.

Ms. Johnson reads her poem at its conclusion.

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Carmen McRae’s 1972 live recording, The Great American Songbook [Atlantic]

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I Thought About You

Today I thought about the time I saw
Carmen McRae in a shoe store in West Hollywood
20th century siren but not unapproachable
I thought of vinyl records, mood shifting from tears to a smile
That’s a gift, her voice a shadowy dream: (Same old dream…
And approachable, like dreams can seem to be

Vinyl record, a penny on the needle to keep it from skipping
Picture a sequined chanteuse at the mic and the way she sang the words:
Same old dream. It evokes longing, cigarette smoke, ghosts on a train

Some dreams will out-live us all

But now a good question to ask is: what do my feet look like in these high heels
With no pedicure? And does this store carry seamed stockings
Black like I like them?

I like these kind of distractions

They take my mind off unanswerable dreams
Notes floating like cigarette smoke, fragile steps
In too-tight sequined heels

Listen to Connie Johnson read her poem

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Connie Johnson was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. She began writing poems in 1976, but chose to pursue a career in music journalism. Since 2020, her focus has returned to poetry and her work has appeared or will be forthcoming in Iconoclast, Haight-Ashbury Literary Journal, Mudfish and Exit 13.

Listen to the 1972 recording of Carmen McRae performing the Jimmy Van Heusen/Johnny Mercer composition “I Thought About You” [Rhino/Atlantic]