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“John Coltrane,” by Martel Chapman
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John Coltrane
John Coltrane near his birthday, early Autumn night.
Breezes cease; allow nearby Maples and Beeches
to lean over my porch roof
in earnest reverence for Trane’s summoning of Summertime.
I have sat at this bachelor’s kitchen table,
with Jazz as my companion:
trios, quartets, quintets—my guides.
Seasons pass: leaves grow, change, and fall.
America’s Jazz remains.
My kitchen as music hall, dreaming of Naima;
waiting on Trane.
by Robert Milby
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Ballad
My arms around
……………….her waist
Her arms around
……………….my neck
We shuffled across the
……………….wood floor
The world blocked out
No one else existed
……………….that moment
As Coltrane blew his
……………….golden horn
And Nancy With The
……………….smiling Face
Looked at me
And I needed nothing else
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by Zvi A. Sesling
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Robert Milby, of Florida, NY has been reading his poetry in public since March, 1995. He is the author of several chapbooks, books, and CDs of poetry. He won first prize in the Orchard Street Press (Gates Mills, OH) Malovrh-Fenlon national poetry contest in June, 2022, for his poem, “Beethoven’s 9th Sonata.” Milby served as Orange County, NY Poet Laureate from 2017- 2019
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Zvi A. Sesling, Brookline, MA Poet Laureate (2017-2020), has published numerous poems and flash fiction. He edits Muddy River Poetry Review and 10 By 10 Flash Fiction Stories and is a five-time Pushcart Prize nominee. He has published four poetry books and three poetry chapbooks as well as a flash fiction chapbook. Sesling’s flash/micro fiction book, Secret Behind The Gate is from Cervena Barva Press. He lives in Brookline, MA with his wife Susan J. Dechter.
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Martel Chapman found artistic inspiration in Francis Wolff’s cover photograph of John Coltrane’s Blue Train album, and has been creating art honoring the artistic genius of jazz music ever since.
Click here to visit his website
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Listen to the 1959 recording of John Coltrane playing “Naima,” with Wynton Kelly (piano); Paul Chambers (bass); and Jimmy Cobb (drums). [Rhino/Atlantic]
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Click here to read The Sunday Poem
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