Bird Fever
One hundred and three this morning
Revving up my mind, exploring
With Charlie Parker roaring
Alone in the gloom
I’ll blast and burn
the ghosts in this room
Singing Bird
On a cloud above me
whirling, twirling
Sighing
lying
in wait for the blue breath
from tired lungs
Bird is playing a long note
Looking above
from down below
ink-wet pen quietly
waiting
excitedly
I hear a brain wave
Words like Bird-notes
leap off the page
perhaps
a Bird-poem will start
to sing
Then Bird Looked
The slug turned the bend
of the gun; picked a neat
hole in the heart of Bird
He arched:
Like a pound of loose feathers
Bird floated, free
a-bebopin’ spree
The word from his mouth
dancing at my feet
Diz groaned
Then Bird looked at me
with the eye of a child
Bird Flat
Descending
winding down
to Devil’s Door
An epiphany
Bird reaches
Heavensgate
The Devil’s
Interval’s
but a stop
below
The road
to salvation
Bird unites
rhythm
with harmony
in the heartbeat
Bird flat
Flatted fifth
Bebop
Auricle
Ventricle
Auricle
Ventricle
Bird and Diz
Monk
and Klook
in
a
single
heart
beat
these are really good. They capture the bird really well.