The Sunday Poem: “4tet at Fiesta” by Catherine Lee

July 5th, 2025

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The Sunday Poem  is published weekly, and strives to include the poet reading their work.

Catherine Lee reads her poem at its conclusion.

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darlene susco, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Branford Marsalis, 2011

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4tet at Fiesta

sound
to a place
where tomorrow
is too
am
arrow
like
pain
from
brain chatter
dissipates
into
within
too
gather
separated
lives
into
chords
transport
out

muscled
clattered bowed
whoop breathed
in shared
air
still
enough
that together
hearers’
breathing
either
stops
outright
or must be
coughed
to control

such were
moments
from Joey’s
touch tickling
Eric’s
wire tricking
Justin’s
rimshot sticking
Branford’s
familial
plus historical
playlist picking
unconventional
yet
consequential
this one for all
the ages
in the room
resonated
confidential
influential
existential
exponential
providential
quintessential
reverential
echoes
in the quiet spaces
between
hearts and soul

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Listen to Catherine Lee read her poem

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Catherine Lee, a widely published neo-Beat, explores poetry’s percussive jazz voice. Lee’s Mentor Wonders poetic drama about mentoring “at risk” public elementary students is available on Amazon and as a Dramatic Reading video at VIMEO. Lee is currently writing a new play, Subconsciously Seeking a Maverick, about how children watching mid-20th-century TV Westerns were programmed with stereotypes about minorities and women, and led to accept open carry of firearms for intimidation. Lee’s extensive artistic biography is found here.

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Listen to the Branford Marsalis Quartet play the Keith Jarrett composition “Spiral Dance,” with Marsalis (saxophone); Joey Calderazzo (piano); Eric Revis (bass); and Justin Faulkner (drums) [Universal Music Group]

 

 

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Click for:

Information about Kinds of Cool: An Interactive Collection of Jazz Poetry

The Sunday Poem

More poetry on Jerry Jazz Musician

“Saharan Blues on the Seine,” Aishatu Ado’s winning story in the 68th Jerry Jazz Musician Short Fiction Contest

More short fiction on Jerry Jazz Musician

Information about how to submit your poetry or short fiction

Subscribe to the (free) Jerry Jazz Musician quarterly newsletter

Helping to support the ongoing publication of Jerry Jazz Musician, and to keep it commercial-free (thank you!)

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”4tet at Fiesta” by Catherine Lee

The Sunday Poem is published weekly, and strives to include the poet reading their work.... Catherine Lee reads her poem at its conclusion


Click here to read previous editions of The Sunday Poem

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