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The Sunday Poem is published weekly, and strives to include the poet reading their work.
Salvatore Difalco reads his poem at its conclusion.
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Bob Travis, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
Joe Zawinul, 2007
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Like Joe Zawinul
Let me be free in my moment,
free of sharps, free of pricks and dicks,
free of hysterics pulling out their hair
or setting it on fire. And I want to be free
of fifteen second advertisements
for products I would not in this life
or the next even conceive of buying
or borrowing or stealing.
Let me be free of stupidity and stupids
in their sweaty, toothy multitudes,
who threaten to stone me to death
with their confidence. Maybe in my
next life I’ll endeavor to be stupid
and free of self-doubt. But let me
be free of stupidity in this life,
allow me to scorn the proudly stupid.
Let me embrace beauty and wisdom,
rhythm and grace, and let me be
inspired to improvise my way
through the standards of this life
with humility, joy, and selective empathy.
Not everyone deserves a hearing
or a hug. Not everyone is up to snuff.
Not everyone is cool enough.
Let me be like Josef Erich Zawinul
strutting around without qualm,
singing Stormy Weather out loud
or tinkling the piano in my head,
or thinking about old Weather Report.
Everywhere you go you always take
the weather with you always take
the weather with you everywhere …
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Listen to Salvatore DiFalco read his poem
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Poet and storyteller Salvatore Difalco lives in Toronto, Canada. He is the author of five books including Black Rabbit & Other Stories (Anvil Press). Recent journal appearances include Cafe Irreal, Fictive Dream, and E-ratio. His short story “Bluesette” was the winning entry in the 67th Jerry Jazz Musician Short Fiction contest, which you can read by clicking here.
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Listen to the 1972 recording of Weather Report performing Joe Zawinul’s composition “Unknown Soldiers,” with Zawinul (keyboards); Wayne Shorter (saxophone); Miroslav Vitous (bass); Eric Gravatt (drums); and Dom Um Romao (percussion). [Columbia/Legacy]
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Click for:
More poetry on Jerry Jazz Musician
“My Vertical Landscape,” Felicia A. Rivers’ winning story in the 69th 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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Jerry Jazz Musician…human produced since 1999
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