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The Sunday Poem is published weekly, and strives to include the poet reading their work.
Bill Siegel reads his poem at its conclusion.
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“Rouse Solo” by Martel Chapman
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Ten-Suite Epistrophies and Improvisations: for T. Monk
“When you hear music, after you hear it, it’s
gone, in the air. You can never capture it again.”
— Eric Dolphy
“What am I supposed to do? Play myself to death?” — Thelonious Monk
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I.
When he plays he wears invisible glasses
……………picks his keys with patience and purpose
a tornado with time on his hands
………………while in walks light
shadows knock on the windows
……………tapping-tap-tapping
a rhythm that you know
……………that you know
and all the while
……………… in walks light
Every note boxed
……………every box a song
every time every night
……………… in walks Monk
II.
Tell me what it
……………means I mean
if you can hear it
……………if you can
decode it if you
……………can really hear I mean
really hear it
……………if you could really hear it
Would I still have to play it?
III.
The music falls
……………a tumbling cascade a rushing
…………………………whirlwind of light
88 just ain’t enough keys for all this
IV.
Get it right the
……………first time get it
Get it right or
……………spend your life
fixing it
V.
Lighted shadows
……………untwisted cyclones
it’s this and it’s that
……………it’s all there the way
it was meant so we
……………we spin with you so we
we dance with you and so we
……………we wait with you
we wait for the moment
……………wait for that moment when
everything right hits
……………every thing right
VI.
You whirl you circle
……………circle the piano you
…………………………invite us in while
we dance with you dance
……………dance around you while
…………………………you dance
around the piano between
…………………………the beats
It’s there, yes, it’s there if
……………you want it
but you got to
……………you got to
you got to really want it
VII.
Hold your hand out flat
……………palm down pound
…………………………down
There. It’s there. That moment
……………a hummingbird a chickadee a
……………moth a thought
…………………………a note
VIII.
…………………………reach
…………………for that rhythm
……………………….that riff
………………you know it’s there
………………it’s there wait for it
………………………..bring it
………………………into focus
………………………….now
…………………….pin it down
…………………………spin it
……………………….until it’s
…………………………there
IX.
It’s there and you
……………will always
you will always want it
……………always
always
X.
In the rain or in the light
……………you know
A storm in the sunshine
……………casts one hell of a shadow
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Listen to Bill Siegel read his poem
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Bill Siegel’s work appears in Indigenous Pop: Native American Music from Jazz to Hip Hop, AllAboutJazz, InMotion Magazine, Brilliant Corners, Rust + Moth, Rabid Oak, and other publications. He created Jim Pepper Legacy, collecting articles, reviews, poems and news celebrating the late saxophonist. Of his work, he says “it’s the immediacy of personal experience that most interests and challenges me, and which I strive to capture and evoke in audiences and readers.”
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Martel Chapman found artistic inspiration in Francis Wolff’s cover photograph of John Coltrane’s Blue Train album, and has been creating art honoring the artistic geniuses of jazz music ever since.
Click here to visit his website
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Listen to the 1957 recording of Thelonious Monk performing his composition (co-written with Kenny Clarke) “Epistrophy,” with Ray Copeland (trumpet); Gigi Gryce (alto saxophone); John Coltrane (tenor saxophone); Coleman Hawkins (tenor saxophone); Wilbur Ware (bass); and Art Blakey (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 “Ballad,” Lúcia Leão’s winning story in the 65th 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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