City lights reflect neon streets where late
Night rain fails to cool the heat of summer,
But pools in red, yellow and brilliant blues.
Steam clings to the pavement where jazz and blues
Blend with Latin percussion, drumming late
Into the dark, moonless heart of summer.
The flavor of Mississippi Summer,
And the soulful pain of Chicago blues
Stir the night when it is never too late.
The big city cries the late summer blues.
A contest entry
- Tritina by warrior-eagle.
700 points, ended August 25, 2008, 11 entries
Honorable mention
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Comments
1 - 8 of 8
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I can actually picture the Summer, the jazz,
this is very descriptive and I am glad you had a chance
to participate here, good done with the Tritina.
...Simply Me♥ -
Very evocative, very American and very good! Excellent tritina.
Good luck,
Bill
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Nice flow as the reader walks the streets listening to the sounds of the cities music. Moving with a slow bump of the hips to the rythm as the heat is sweltering in the windy city. Vivid images and great write.
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bravo
Ah, so very fine! I have experienced Chicago heat, though not it's wonderful music though I know it by reputation. A wonderful and highly evocative poem! bravo!!!
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Great images, you really made me see and feel it all. I don't know if the last line was necessary, but it's all good. Every stanza was right on the money!
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I am glad you read this one. Our discussions of jazz inspired this. I remembered a scene from my miss-spent youth, walking up State Street, past Division Street, on my way home after a night of making the rounds of jazz venues. That intersection is always bathed in light from neon signs. When it rains, it is spectacular. When it rains on a hot night, steam rises, creating an other-worldly visual effect. It was a nice memory.
Oh, the last line is a requirement of the tritina form calle for in the contest. Notice how the end-words are repeted in a different order in each of the three stanzas, then used as the last three words of the final line. -
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Chicago Nights...
When I saw the name of your poem, I had to read it right away. I was taken back to the days when I walked around the city after a rain. I went to school at Columbia College downtown and used to go to the bar at the Blackstone hotel where they had some great jazz players come through. The steam rising off the streets after a rain was always one of my favorite things. Have you ever seen the movie: 'Round Midnight with Dexter Gordon? I love the way that movie was filmed. If you haven't seen it, you should. It's one of my favorites.
(Sorry for all the random thoughts colliding in here, just short on time and too much to say). Your poem is great -- that's the bottom line.
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Good stuff.
... moonless heart of summer ...
Luvit.
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