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The Sunday Poem is published weekly, and strives to include the poet reading their work.
Cheryl Savageau reads her poem at its conclusion.
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Gert Chesi, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The saxophonist Jim Pepper, 1983
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Witchi Tai To, Austria:
Jim Pepper and Amina Claudine Myers
they are scatting
in two different
languages
or maybe more
Pepper
would never tell
anyone
what the words
meant or even
if they were words
or vocables
from his Kaw
grandfathers
elders songs
at powwows
and jazz
Amina Claudine
plays arpeggios
to the undulating
chords Pepper
has set this ancient
song to and sings
long wailing vowels
and exclamations
Daweeda Daweeda Daweeda Yo
Ooooo-ooo Ya
Hey nay Hey Nay
No way
Waaa ooo waah oo
then his sax
sweet and pure
pain and beauty
and her hands
on the piano
percussive
arpeggiating
rings and bracelets
sparkling
his voice
her voice
the turtle rattle
the unforgettable
voice of his sax
Witchi Tai To
Witchi Tai To
the singing of water
surrounds us
we are blessed
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Listen to Cheryl Savageau read her poem
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Cheryl Savageau is a poet, writer, artist, and pianist. Honors include Fellowships from the NEA, Massachusetts Artists Fellowship Program, and MacDowell, and two Pushcart nominations. Her hybrid memoir, Out of the Crazywoods, is now available in paperback. Two new poetry collections are out for publication.
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Watch the 1991 film of Jim Pepper and pianist Amina Claudine Myers performing Pepper’s composition “Witchi Tai To”
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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)
“21 jazz poems on the 21st” collections
More poetry on Jerry Jazz Musician
More short fiction on Jerry Jazz Musician
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