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The Sunday Poem is published weekly, and strives to include the poet reading their work.
Millicent Borges Accardi reads her poem at its conclusion.
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photo by William Gottlieb/Library of Congress
Billie Holiday, 1947
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Lady Day
“It ain’t the blues. I don’t know what it is, but you got to hear it.
…………..Ralph Cooper after hearing Billy Holiday
Her first note wails amber
smoke near overhead pipes above
the guitars. It wavers
and rolls r’s better than spring.
The boys find her
key and throw back
phrasing like pulls on a strong
drink. From the balcony,
a slip of paper falls, sways,
wings, backs, halts. Spins
once and then descends into
the crowd, never spiraling
the same note twice.
Lost after flight. Arms wrap
around her song as it turns
into drums, smoke, and the
green moon. I got it bad
and that ain’t good she says
A man in a white cotton undershirt
rises from the orchestra pit,
raises a trumpet to his
lips, and blows. So this is
how music feels, so this is
how it is when a man really wants
and a woman doesn’t
sing as if the ground was unbearably hot.
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Listen to Millicent Borges Accardi read her poem
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Millicent Borges Accardi is the author of four poetry collections, most recently, Quarantine Highway. She’s received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), Fulbright, CantoMundo, California Arts Council, Barbara Deming and Fundação Luso-Americana (FLAD). She’s on IG and Twitter @TopangaHippie
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Listen to Billie Holiday sing “All of Me” [Columbia/Legacy]
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Click here to read previous editions of The Sunday Poem
Click here to read “A Collection of Jazz Poetry – Summer, 2023 Edition”
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
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Jerry Jazz Musician…human produced (and AI-free) since 1999
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Delish, Mill
xxxMad