First Entry: JAZZ FOR THE BONES OF THE LOCUST TREE

I had a wonderful opportunity to write a poetic response to my Serbian friend, Jelena Bogdanovich’s poem through Facebook. I sensed what it’s like to do back-to-back poetry, much like wrestlers do with tag-team wrestling. I am reminded of tag-team evangelism on the streets of Chicago years ago with friends. We would take turns, have a go at it, and then, pass the mic on to the next person, who would add from where the last person left off.

It seems to me that Tag Team evangelist poets wrestle with God, but with words.

Here is Jelena’s poem:


JAZZ FOR THE BONES OF THE LOCUST TREE

You're the rain that falls on my bones
Of the locust tree;
A pearl, on my most fragile joints.
So, You are playing jazz
On Your giant contrabass
With the percussions
Of rain
In the background
You know very well
I would not believe You a word
Today, so you come as a music
Soaking my ground:
"Girl,
I'm not ashamed of your humanity..."

And here is mine along with one of my paintings:


HORSE CAT TREE


expressed jazz moans

in soulful tones

through loans from various sources

like trees,

like cats,

and horses

the bassist plays in

expressive ways

a bow across the strings

and the wooden bass sings

the chambered cry

of a felled tree

no wonder why

but i feel free

at cost of

horse, cat, tree

more like a wail

it weeps without fail as

horsehair bow brings

sounds so low

from catgut strings

causing my heart's glow

— Tony Mujica © 2012

The Bassist
(Portrait of Eberhard Weber)
Oil on Canvas
14" x 18"
Tony Mujica © 2012