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The Sunday Poem is published weekly, and strives to include the poet reading their work.
j.lewis reads his poem at its conclusion.
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painting: Jules Grandgagnage; photograph: Jules Grandgagnage, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
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somewhere near the major-minor seventh
……………..for Anita Lerek
cohen says there are major falls
and minor lifts that come before
the fourths and fifths and i suppose
he’s probably right, most likely right
but this is not about some hallelujah
this is a dim-lit club where jazz goes down
where the drummer’s beat is something
i could never, ever dance to, but then
there’s no need for dancing, romancing
when your hand brushes mine quite accidently
and you see my eyes go oh, so slightly wider
at the exact second the sax begins to climb
higher than he ought to fly before he comes
back down, he comes back down, and so do i
which leaves you with the question
was it your touch or the music
you or the jazz
the answer, if there is a simple one
is hidden in the six-seven syncopation
the ivory’s seamless modulation
saxophone’s seductive deep vibration
past the seconds, sixths and on to
a lingering, unresolved emotion
somewhere near the major-minor seventh
that leaves me so much room to get to know you
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……………previously appeared in “april with friends – vol i” (self-published chapbook, April 2021)
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Listen to j. lewis read his poem
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j.lewis is a musician, psych nurse practitioner, internationally published poet, and the editor of Verse-Virtual, an online journal and community. When he is not otherwise occupied, he is often outdoors, exploring and photographing the open spaces near his home in California. He is the author of five full length collections, plus eleven chapbooks. Click here to visit his website.
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Listen to the 1963 recording of Dexter Gordon playing “Stairway to the Stars,” with Bud Powell (piano); Pierre Michelot (bass); and Kenny Clarke (drums). [Universal Music Group]
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Click here to read previous editions of The Sunday Poem
Click here to read “A Collection of Jazz Poetry – Spring/Summer, 2024 Edition”
Click here to read “Not From Around Here,” Jeff Dingler’s winning story in the 66th Jerry Jazz Musician Short Fiction Contest
Click here for information about how to submit your poetry or short fiction
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