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The Sunday Poem is published weekly, and strives to include the poet reading their work.
Henry Wolstat reads his poem at its conclusion.
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photo by Mel Levine/pinelife, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Billie Holiday, 1955
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Lady Day and Prez
At the bar of the
Towne Tavern, once
Toronto’s finest jazz club,
stage facing me,
sipping my one beer,
knowing even then
in my twenty-third year
I was witness to
a never forgotten gig.
Lady Day, gardenia in your hair,
every note you sang
rang out with blues and
rhythm of your battered
and celebrated life.
And you Prez,
pork pie hat and sax
wandered the room
blowing sounds that
resonated into memory
I knew from all I read
that you were both
wasted from years of
booze and drugs
facing death within a year,
though you’re both alive
in my dim lit past.
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Listen to Henry Wolstat read his poem
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Henry Wolstat is a retired psychiatrist in his late 80’s living in the greater Boston area with his wife. He is the author of a poetry book, Driftwood, and he has also been published in printed and online anthologies. He is passionate about running, the arts, and poetry.
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Listen to Billie Holiday and Lester Young perform “All of Me” [The Orchard]
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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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