“King Louis en le toilette” — a poem (and collage) by Steven Dalachinsky

March 7th, 2019

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King Louis en le toilette

in the toilette
in front of gate 73
Louis Armstrong sings & plays
i can’t see him but i know he’s here
he’s soloing
i’m pissing
flushing
washing my hands
awaiting my flight which has been delayed 4 hrs.
Louis sings & plays
the bottom
the middle
the top
he makes his entrance as i make mine
& i discover & rediscover something that
has long been forgotten
left here
to sing & play for us
in the men’s room
like a film script
with no beginning or end
& when i leave the toilet he’ll still
be in there
as funny tender & profound as
ever
i can see his face those eyes
his hand raising the trumpet to his lips
playing his solo as others piss & shit &
flush & wash
but this does not cheer me up or
make me feel more useful or
fill any gaps in my life
nor alter my vision of things
yet @ the same time despite myself
it is both strange & pleasing to know he’s in there
it even comforts & encourages me a little
tho it angers me a lot
& for a minute or maybe an
eternity
it makes my heart my “SOUL”
feel like a
…………………………….Duty Free Shop

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Steve Dalachinsky is a New York downtown poet. He is active in the poetry, music, art, and free jazz scene. Dalachinsky’s main influences are the Beats, William Blake, The Odyssey, obsession, socio-political angst, human disappointment, music (especially Jazz), and visual art with leanings toward abstraction. Dalachinsky’s books include A Superintendent’s Eyes (Hozomeen Press 2000), his PEN Award Winning book The Final Nite & Other Poems: Complete Notes From A Charles Gayle Notebook 1987-2006 (Ugly Duckling Presse, 2006), a compendium of poetry written while watching saxophonist Charles Gayle perform throughout New York City in that time period, and Logos and Language, co-authored with pianist Matthew Shipp (RogueArt 2008) and Reaching Into The Unknown, a collaboration with French photographer Jacques Bisceglia (RogueArt 2009).

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For a complete biography, visit his Wikipedia page.

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Steve Dalachinsky has created many collages in honor of jazz music and musicians, as well as countless others that are not music-themed.  Select collages (accompanied by his poetry) will be published in ensuing issues of Jerry Jazz Musician.

These collages are for sale (and are inexpensive).  If you wish to inquire about their availability, you can contact Steve via email at [email protected]

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In This Issue

painting of Clifford Brown by Paul Lovering
A Collection of Jazz Poetry — Spring/Summer, 2024 Edition...In this, the 17th major collection of jazz poetry published on Jerry Jazz Musician, 50 poets from all over the world again demonstrate the ongoing influence the music and its associated culture has on their creative lives.

(featuring the art of Paul Lovering)

Publisher’s Notes

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Click here to read more short fiction published on Jerry Jazz Musician

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Book Excerpt

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Jazz History Quiz #173

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Click to view the complete 25-year archive of Jerry Jazz Musician interviews, including those recently published with Judith Tick on Ella Fitzgerald (pictured),; Laura Flam and Emily Sieu Liebowitz on the Girl Groups of the 60's; Tad Richards on Small Group Swing; Stephanie Stein Crease on Chick Webb; Brent Hayes Edwards on Henry Threadgill; Richard Koloda on Albert Ayler; Glenn Mott on Stanley Crouch; Richard Carlin and Ken Bloom on Eubie Blake; Richard Brent Turner on jazz and Islam; Alyn Shipton on the art of jazz; Shawn Levy on the original queens of standup comedy; Travis Atria on the expatriate trumpeter Arthur Briggs; Kitt Shapiro on her life with her mother, Eartha Kitt; Will Friedwald on Nat King Cole; Wayne Enstice on the drummer Dottie Dodgion; the drummer Joe La Barbera on Bill Evans; Philip Clark on Dave Brubeck; Nicholas Buccola on James Baldwin and William F. Buckley; Ricky Riccardi on Louis Armstrong; Dan Morgenstern and Christian Sands on Erroll Garner; Maria Golia on Ornette Coleman.

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