The Sunday Poem: “Refreshing My Education” by Mike Mignano

July 11th, 2026

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

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Listen to Mike Mignano introduce, and read his poem. .

 

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The poet in 1969

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Refreshing My Education

Adolescence in the 60’s
Conscience numbing news
Chaotic times mature
Officials fund
Crusades abroad
Civil strife endure

…………………………………………………….Solace uncharted
…………………………………………………….God only trust
…………………………………………………….Clerics/Scout leaders abuse
…………………………………………………….Watts/Woodstock
…………………………………………………….Marlboro Man
…………………………………………………….Smoking fiery hues

Eureka moments
Blest cleansing tunes
Jazz outpourings baptize
Cool refreshment
Education anew
Tutorial surprise

…………………………………………………….Beloved crossovers
…………………………………………………….“Take Five”
…………………………………………………….“A Taste of Honey”
…………………………………………………….Imbibe
…………………………………………………….“The Girl from Ipanema”
…………………………………………………….Ahh!! “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy”

 

 

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Mike Mignano, retired Ocala, FL. Hometown Ithaca, NY. Interests include: history, travel, guitar, choral singing, nature walking, viewing sports, theatre and poetry.

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Listen to the 1967 recording of Cannonball Adderley performing Joe Zawinul’s composition “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy,” with Adderley (alto saxophone); Nat Adderley (cornet); Zawinul (keyboards); Victor Gaskin (bass); and Roy McCurdy (drums).  [Universal Music Group]

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Click for:

A Letter From the Editor: On “The Weary Blues: Celebrating Langston Hughes and the Harlem Renaissance”

Information about the book Kinds of Cool: An Interactive Collection of Jazz Poetry, Vol. II (featuring women poets)

The Sunday Poem Archive

More poetry on Jerry Jazz Musician

“Where the Music Wasn’t Allowed,” Jane McCarthy’s winning story in the 71st 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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In this Issue

Announcing the publication of Volume II of Kinds of Cool: An Interactive Collection of Jazz Poetry...The second edition of Kinds of Cool, an Interactive Collection of Jazz Poetry has just been published, and is now available for sale on Amazon.com. This edition is dedicated to publishing women poets from all over the world who share their personal passion for and relationship with jazz music, and the culture it interacts with. With a foreword by Allison Miller, one of the world’s most eminent jazz drummers, and photography and design by Rhonda R. Dorsett

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

Mary K O’Melveny reads her poem at its conclusion.


Click here to read previous editions of The Sunday Poem

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Trading Fours, with Douglas Cole, No. 28: “Little Samba”...Trading Fours with Douglas Cole is an occasional series of the writer’s poetic interpretations of jazz recordings and film. This edition is based largely on a documentary – They Shot the Piano Player – about Tenório Junior, a Latin jazz musician who only produced one album (1964) before he “disappeared” in 1976.

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“The title is not included in the word count…” – a short story by Scott Cash...In this story – a finalist in the 71st Short Fiction Contest – self-ordained genius Kevin feels that life has been against him. But he thinks he has discovered a loophole and can exceed the 3,000 word limit for a writing contest by utilizing the title. When this is thwarted, he instead lands upon footnotes as a way to exceed the limit. This story is a celebration of writers and the act of writing.

Jazz History Quiz

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Interview Archive

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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.