shades of ray

--- For Ray Charles

dark shades of ray

swaying to

fatback funk

& blue indigo

 

incognito,

comping dirges so slow,

the drummer's lost

& looking for a tempo --

 

sweet gospel

heal your soul

throw your crutches

away -­ lean on ray

 

say amen somebody...

 

river of fingers

leafing through

keys looking for a lost

note ­ the flatted fifth

 

of the apocalypse...

 

i think

i heard it today

just about the time

ray's unbound soul

 

quit this

bone cold world

on angel wings

of thunder

 

a world without ray ­

who wants it?

 

i'm gonna paint

my windows black

as foster-grants

& go to bed forever

(This poem first appeared in Mystery Island Magazine, Issue 2)

©2005 D.D. Cox. Used here by permission.