simmered ascension paces breath with lingered steps
knowing the cost of lover’s lips too stilled to touch -
like Castilian bounty painted slow succulence
laid low, insistent inside pulse,
the creature let go life, dreaming
silk dragon kites let loose to curl
caressed drift montages inside occidental smoke
motifs rise in apparitions hung sultry
studied nonchalance -
oh, mirage of neon spilled Nile shadow
poised half-note tethered bridges
fingered spectres that call down Orion to Nefertiti,
swim beauty, swim
the moon lake of nocturne sighs -
languid tongue craving brass
wet artery of reed
heart of mystery lush at sacred mouth
ancient pharaohs glide liquid midnight on jazz-water barge
navigating gold-wash melody for pale southern stars
in throes of passion torn from riverbed and pyre fire
a soliloquy emerges
linear arcs in flat fifths without word
creation aching echoes that loop near supple recall -
that pleasure hope in each, a sob,
epiphanies gifted to the void.
golden filaments weave metaphor
not merely notes
but a calling-out of nymphea in transient musk heat chimes repeat
and I taste the remnant of blood like nectar in salt sweat,
some untamed tragedy left on trembling lips
seduction wrapped around dawn
low cool viridian conjuring blue undertones
a séance,
calligraphy
iconography of pure gold
orbs in freed orbit trance -
seduction of panther whose path claims feral air -
wild card vines that speak requiems in lazy Morse code hymn,
as equatorial journeys echo the edge of round found sound -
reverberant poems of men who speak what cannot be said
with naked tongues pressed
to the confessional air of love‘s wordless set.
Author notes
A contest entry for:
Jazzcat's Miles Davis Tribute
Use Miles Davis' song for inspiration.
by jazzcat
song prompt: Flamenco Sketches
From Kind of Blue, written by Miles Davis and Bill Evans
Miles Davis and John Coltrane featured on this cut.
Pianists, Bill Evans and Wynton Kelly, drummer Jimmy Cobb, bassist Paul Chambers, and saxophonists John Coltrane and Julian "Cannonball" Adderley comprised the studio set who recorded this masterpiece album.
Flamenco Sketches is but one of my favorites...and it gets under my skin every time I listen to it. I chose to use metaphors that insinuate like far-eastern veils, occluding yet illuminating the gorgeous almost mystical sensibility I hear in this gorgeous recording.
oh, please listen...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tpvpyb-PXM0
More background here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kind_of_Blue
____________________________________________________________________
In a list
A contest entry
- Jazzcat's Miles Davis Tribute by jazzcat.
2500 points, ended October 12, 9 entries
Gold trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Comments
1 - 12 of 12
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I agree with Cat, that stanza he highlights is sacred
intoxication. The whole of the piece moves in nocturnal
colours, surrounds in pulse of soul~beat. Lovely, and mythical.
Blue
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Hmmm...We have emoticons for dancing, violin and guitar. Why not a trumpet, too??? 
Congrats on your shiny chalice, Sweetie. 
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congratulations on a wonderful poem and prize.
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'motifs rise in apparitions hung sultry
studied nonchalance -
oh, mirage of neon spilled Nile shadow
poised half-note tethered bridges
fingered spectres that call down Orion to Nefertiti,
swim beauty, swim
the moon lake of nocturne sighs - languid tongue craving brass
wet artery of reed
heart of mystery lush at sacred mouth'
That's an insane stanza -- and I mean that in the best way possible -- it covers everything and begs to be read aloud. I love all the musical references inside of it, that, honestly, I passed over on my first read through.
The whole piece is exceptionally strong and gives us more than jazz, it combines nature and history, a simmering feeling of sexual undertones, beautiful imagery and so much more.
When I started this contest, I wasn't thinking in terms of poetry like this, but now I have to rethink this as you have repainted the landscape
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smiling.... I am happy you've enjoyed the poem as you have, jc.
For me, when a musician plays - and the sound that issues forth is as whole and eloquent as this especially - they paint mood and inference on surrounding air. Where we open our ears and see the color and imagery of what they've expressed inside the sound...then the very special part about that is that we as listeners, become co-creators with them inside our individual attendance...lending our set of visual metaphors to the experience.
These men were giants at lending that experience...
whew...
Thank you for seeing what I see in Flamenco Sketches.
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Damnn!
This poem was absolutely insane, I LOVED it!
I really liked the Egyptian theme you inscribed in it and you used the most amazing metaphors/similes I've ever read. "Blood like nectar in salt-sweat."
The language you used flowed beautifully, you should really consider recording this over drum-beats like beat poetry. Wow dude, damn!
Oh by the way, I smell acid on your breath. hehe (: -
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laughs... happy you like the poem, Sweet Water. It would be an interesting pursuit to record as you've described, wouldn't it?
btw... what you smell is vivid imagination... it tastes alot like acid.
huggsss
thanks again, poet... -
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vivid imagination + acid = otherworldly intuition ...haha
But really now, that style of Egyptian writing actually turns me on lmao, same with Indian/Gypsy styles. I think it's unbelievably sexy. You should write me a poem about ancient Egypt and Egyptian Gods and stuff. It would be amazing and I would love that!
-AW
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hmmm... I am drawn to such motifs myself...here's one you might enjoy:
http://allpoetry.com/poem/5506690
and here's one with tabla:
http://allpoetry.com/poem/5787593
(click on the links in the AN to hear the music)
I'll see what comes... and challenge you to respond in kind... smlling -
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Ahh alright I can wait.
Only if you write something that really blows my mind though :-P
Very interesting poems btw. They're extremely wordy lol
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That last stanza in particular. Sigh. I think Miles himself would swoon and be inspired to write another song, just for you, Scribe. Good luck in the contest, my Friend. 
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I absolutely love this whole album, but Davis and Coltrane together here.... whew
What a beautiful comment, Wanda... for some reason I blush profusely, but smile from ear to ear with it.... hugggggssss to you
Thank you, Scribe
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