“You Bring Out the Jazz in Me” — a poem by Erren Kelly

June 11th, 2017

 

 

 

 

You Bring Out The Jazz In Me

You bring out the jazz in me
The art blakey, max roach the roy haynes in me
Seeing you  shake your hips like
Congas…the way you move your hips to a mamba
My heart pounding like drums inside my head
But this fever won’t put me in bed
Instead I get out on the dance floor
Your body like a treble clef note
makes me  want  to dance more
it’s true,  you do…

You bring out the jazz in me
The Fats Navarro, Terrence Blanchard  and  Dave Douglas in me
I want to mimic the trumpets shout…cure war and recession
Act a clown like Dizzy, fix this country of racism and oppression
Make this country great again, even better than trump
You make me sing sweet freedom, every time I see your rump
Make me want to take king’s place on  that balcony
Be a human shield for j.f.k., oh for the life of me
Maybe anarchy will prevail with the sound of a horn
Though my rage and fury causes flags to be torn
Maybe like chet, I’ll walk both worlds between a boy
And a girl, I’ll help the alphabet army rock the world
This is my love letter,  from me it’s true
You bring out the song of revolution in me
Yes, you do…yes, you do..

you bring out the jazz in me
the jaco pastorious charlie mingus
and paul chambers in me,
see your body mimic the the shape of a double bass,
grab your wide hips
cos im all about that bass, could never be a gigilo
though i’ve been a heartbreaker…ill play you like
a brass band, be a real love maker, as every note
comes out of me rings true
together,  were a symphony and i want to play you
play you,play…you….
you bring out the jazz in me
the high hat and the double time in me
feel the downbeat of you and
and the backbeat, that’s true
watch my blood pressure rise and
fall like arpeggios
want to take five after swinging with you
but oh no, a rim shot salutes your
brilliance
and i want to multi track your excellence
i want to solo with you for ever and
ever

You bring out the jazz in me…the piano playing
Keyboard slaying shaman in me…I want to make
Robots rise like herbie…and turn l.a.
Into a psychedelic sci fi  roller derby
Like Wynton Kelly, I’ll seduce you into a trance
And  we’ll wake up in a speakeasy, and I’ll watch you dance
Like Bill Evans, the song of the mademoiselle suits you
We’ll dive into hysteria like monk
craziness suits you
I can lose myself in any dream I please
Be a warrior or a healer, by way of 88 keys
I’m an errand boy for rhythm it’s true
A masochist for aural pleasure, it’s all because of you
It’s  true, you do, bring  it out of me…

 

_____

 

Erren Geraud Kelly is a two-time Pushcart nominated poet. His poems have appeared in dozens of print and online publications in the United States, Canada and all over the world.  He is the author of the book, Disturbing The Peace, from Night Ballet Press. Kelly received his B.A. in English-Creative Writing from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. He lives in Los Angeles.

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