Molly Parkin: Jazz Lovers

POEM BY MOLLY PARKIN, WRITTEN ON MY 75TH BIRTHDAY, FEB 3, 2007.

JAZZ LOVERS

I SEE THE PEARLY GATES AS THE NEXT PORT OF CALL
AND PART OF ME CAN'T WAIT.
ON MY 75TH BIRTHDAY, TODAY, I SAID TO MYSELF.
YOU ARE OLD ENOUGH TO DIE NOW, THAT'S IF YOU WANT TO.
NOBODY COULD ACCUSE YOU OF LEAVING BEFORE YOUR TIME.
JUST ABOUT ALL MY OLD JAZZ-LOVERS,
THOSE JOY-BOYS, ARE ANGELS NOW
SWELLING THE HEAVENLY CHOIR.
SLIM GAILLARD AND ADRIAN HENRY
WHO SAT IT OUT, GLARING, PAST MIDNIGHT
EACH WAITING FOR THE OTHER TO LEAVE
MY BEDROOM IN THE CHELSEA ARTS CLUB.
SLIM WON AND STAYED THE REST OF THE NIGHT.
I MADE IT UP TO ADRIAN LATER, OF COURSE.
THE BED WAS JUST TOO NARROW
TO MAKE MUSIC WITH BOTH THOSE BIG BOYS
OTHERWISE I WOULD HAVE CERTAINLY BEEN UP FOR IT.
LATER THAT MONTH I SHARED CARNAL PLEASURES
WITH ONE THIRD OF THE CUBAN BAND, PLAYING AT RONNIE'S.
IT WAS A SHORT ENGAGEMENT OTHERWISE
I WOULD HAVE SKIMMED THROUGH THE LOT.

MY JAZZ LOVE-LIFE BEGAN IN THE BLACK ARMS OF SATCHMO.
OVER 30 YEARS MY SENIOR, BUT JUST TO SWOON
TO HIS TUNES AND BE SMOOCHED BY THAT MOUTH,
GAVE ME A DIFFERENT SLANT ON THINGS,
SOMERSAULTED MY EXPECTATIONS AS A WOMAN.
WHAT OTHER 22 YEAR-OLD, LILY-WHITE, WELSH VALLEY,
CHAPEL VIRGIN COULD TRUTHFULLY CONFESS TO THAT.

NOW ALL THOSE SAUCY LADS ARE SINGING
THEIR GUTS OUT AT CLOSING TIME. JEFF NUTTALL ON CORNET
WITH THOSE HEART-STOPPING SONGBIRDS
THAT I MET AT RONNIE'S, LIKE ELLA FITZGERALD
AND NINA SIMONE, WHO NAGGED ME TO GHOST HER MEMOIRS.
BUT I WAS TOO PISSED TO PUT PEN TO PAPER BY THEN.
AND CARMEN McCRAE, WHO BOUGHT ME AN ENTIRE BOTTLE OF BRANDY
NOT MERELY ONE SHOT. HOW I ADMIRED HER STYLE.
NONE OF US TOOK KINDLY TO THAT COURSE REFRAIN,
HERE ON THIS MORTAL COIL. 'LAST ORDERS , PLEASE!'
HAPPILY, THERE IS NO SUCH ODIOUS PHRASE IN HEAVEN.
JAZZ PARTIES IN PARADISE GO ON FOREVER.

THE END

Copyright by Molly Parkin 2007