“One Morning in May” – a poem (for May) by Jerrice J. Baptiste

May 1st, 2025

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Jerrice J. Baptiste’s 12-month 2025 calendar of jazz poetry winds through the upcoming year with her poetic grace while inviting us to wander through music by the likes of Charlie Parker, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Sarah Vaughan,  Melody Gardot and Nina Simone. She welcomes May with a poem devoted to Hoagy Carmichael…

 

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May, 2025

“One Morning in May”

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photo of Hoagy Carmichael c. 1953/via Wikimedia Commons

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One Morning in May

Purple hyacinth bows in corner
lifts heavy petals in your honor
Hoagy you saturate May flowers
like April showers.

Orange tulips open their lips bloomin’
quick fingers on your piano are sizzlin’
the room inhales sound of you darlin’
May rain wouldn’t slow your swingin’

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Listen to Jerrice J. Baptiste read her poem

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Listen to the 1933 recording of Hoagy Carmichael playing his composition “One Morning in May” [RCA Classics]

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Readers can click to each month of Jerrice’s 2025 calendar of jazz poetry  by clicking on the link to the months here:

Jan/Feb/Mar/Apr/May/Jun/Jul/Aug/Sep/Oct/Nov/Dec/Intro

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Jerrice  J. Baptiste  is a poet and author of nine books, Her most recent poetry book  Coral in The Diaspora  is published by Abode Press (August 2024). She’s been nominated twice for a Pushcart Prize (2024 & 2025), and Best of the Net in 2022.   Jerrice‘s poems and collaborative songwriting are featured on the Grammy nominated album Many Hands Family Music for Haiti.

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Click for:

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More poetry on Jerry Jazz Musician

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