Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Red, Red, Robin


Red Red Robin
rls

Freedom to give
Movement to free
Frames how we live
With intensity

Freedom to speak
Singing to free
To be who you  are
Is your responsibility

Freedom to grow
Growing to free

Live, love laugh and be happy

Out Of Time



Out Of Time
rls

Not being with it
Not feeling fine
Having enough but still
Out of time

Nothing there to borrow
Not even from the blues
There’s plenty of it there
But lacking the right cues

Not in sync, but out
No syn-chro-ni-ci-ty
It isn’t just a feeling
It’s more a way to be

To get back in the groove
And get out of that funk
Being in the moment
Is the way to end that slump


(being with it , feelin fine in the groove and back in time!)

Sunday, February 3, 2013

Mystery Bop


Some of my poems read more like lyrics. So for this one, you might imagine a bass playing "Rhythm Changes" behind it....

Mystery Bop
Rls 11/02

You do too much is what she said to me
Gotta pare down your phil-os-oph-y
Isn’t about how much we can say we do
It’s all about staying pure and (being) true

But what if I like it when it’s mes-sy and rough?
It’s still kind-a rare..
It’s still kind-a tough.
What if I like to wait before I simp-li-fy?
I’ll just never know unless I try

You tend to over-do is what she said to me
Gotta pare down  on your ac-ces-sor-ies
Isn’t about what we adorn ourselves with
It’s all about the real you and not the myth

But what if I like it when it’s over the top
It’s over-dram-at-ic
It’s mystery bop
What if I like to wait before I simp-li-fy
I just want to try and reach that pie in the sky!

Sunday, January 27, 2013

For Annie


For Annie

Rhonda Laurie 2011

They were grey-blue, her eyes
Unlike mine
She lived alone, died alone
And she was kind

I will never know her
But I now can hear about her
See images of a time gone by

Standing less than five feet tall,
She had no choice
Too small to be heard
She had no voice

She went away, you know
As if nothing ever happened
And no one even asked
No one.

Saturday, January 5, 2013

R.I.P. Dave Brubeck (1920-2012)




Reflections On A Blue Note a la Turk


One two one two one two three
Brubeck counted differently
Long straight fingers hit the keys
 Thelonious Monk, so playfully!

Classy Duke, composed and played
Sometimes swing or serenade
Louis Armstrong on the horn
Dizzy, Miles, be-bopped til morn…

Soulful singing swing with scat
Armstrong, Ella, Mel all sang like that

Improvising melody or chords
Coltrane, Parker, saxophone lords

Hip hop, rock. and R&B
Influenced by  jazz, you see

One two one two one two three
Let’s take five
Jazz sets us free

 rhonda laurie