Cold Morning Jazz

Cold Morning Jazz

 

1

 

It’s a cold and rainy day

I’m grateful

It’s been too hot

Maybe the neighbors turned

Up their heat

We’re all connected, you see

Like scratches on an antique plate

Like fog inside the city

Like rain

 

2

 

I’m not sure what to say

That hasn’t been said better

By someone else

But I’ll keep at it

Not for the sake of being fresh

But because there is a forum,

Here

In which we should all take part

I heard some truth yesterday

That I have heard before

How fossils added to

With imaginary flesh

Made way for the chimera

All combined animals of myth

 

She spoke her truth as if it were new

But I first heard it long ago

You see, each generation needs

To own its own

Not plagiarism

(plagiarism’s willful)

But new ownership

 

The sphinx is beautiful

Its paws upon the desert floor

Whose head is that

We think we know

Whose body

Name the lion, please

There’s work for you

 

3

 

I’m glad I’m not a city mouse

Somewhere there are mice

Plaster mice

We painted long ago

My brother made the city mouse

Many colors, elegant

Creative

My country mouse was simple

In blue, not much else

Than blue

We painted these at camp

Then they were put away

To look at, every now and then

Mine has a chip upon the ear

 

He can negotiate the city

I do okay,

When I have to

He is the -politan

I try to be the cosmo-

He is so good at what he does

And for my place I guess

I’m glad I am a country mouse

Who lives on Drury Lane

 

I should return his mouse

Next time I have the chance

 

C L Couch

 

 

Photo by Sash Margrie Hunt on Unsplash

New York, USA

 

Sliced

Sliced

 

I shouldn’t write when sick

I shouldn’t do much of anything

I shouldn’t commit myself to what

Might need defending

From ignorance, later on

 

But

When I write some truer part of me leaks out

Anyway

And that seems good

Maybe healthy—I don’t know

Because I am not whole

 

Because I breathe in parts

 

C L Couch