Free Jazz

start legato, pianissimo he blows the jazz

            starts low, building steam in the brass

                        saxophone steam engine first class

conductor in the spotlight

            passing the hours through a reed

wailing the time away. willing the sunset to stop

            for one note, at least, one soul, one crease

liquor bottles weep slowly behind the bar

            tears frozen, roasting on the first slow notes

bebop blizzard from ghostly lungs

            moments hung and hang and dangle

the trumpet enters. the blues remembers

            till the jazz blows its top riot

            till the spot hops sideways with rage 

jumping electric tin cats fire in the cradle no silver spoon

            jumping over the moon broomstick line in the sand

                        jumping the border through cellar doors and

dancing, dancing, dancing to forget the miles in the feet

swinging, swinging, swinging

                                                time measured in heartbeats

            passing shades of blue through the night

blowing the beat colors out through the swinging saloon doors

            blowing the feet in a hurricane seafloor typhoon

                        blowing the new moon jive monthly on Sundays

darkest night births brightest morning           

lightness brought from blackest mourning

            freedom blown through brass and pouring rain

            freed doom neon fire rain backlit halogen sins

            free to move into the fine moonless mists kiss

as the last notes blow, sustained long and low alto fortissimo

            winding down the watch legato

                        spooling the time back into instrument cases

                                    wrapping the groove down into silent spaces