A.D. Winans

Poem For Dave Church

I've been playing jazz records
all day thinking of how
you breathed life into my jazz poems
walk through the apartment
trip through the garden of my mind
wander through a luscious vertical hibernation
beneath the warm sheen of a single light bulb
and the shadows of time that haunt me

Miles Davis and Charlie Parker break through
the tinnitus shake free the dust from my memory bank
I see you slumped over the steering wheel
of the taxi cab you drove all those long years
Poet Warrior who bought my “13” jazz poems to life
as no other poet could
brought back to reality by a flock of birds
who circle the dark clouds gathered outside
that threaten to burst into tears

Gone but not forgotten
jazz in your heart poetry in your soul
your words explode like artillery fire
shatter the quiet of dawn

You a butterfly inhabited
temporary space
tasted the pollen of life
spread your wings in heavenly flight
cosmic matter waiting to be reborn.

 

This poem appeared on A.D.’s Timeline on Facebook and will be in an upcoming, not-yet- released, collection