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Re: [CHRISTIA] new poetry, "When I Listen to James Alley Blues"

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On Thursday, January 16, 2014 at 6:56:29 PM UTC-6, Mark Phillips wrote:
> "When I Listen to James Alley Blues"
> 
>  
> 
> ("Let Bezalel, Oholiab, and every other skilled worker whom the Lord has
> given skill, ability, and knowledge for the work of building the sanctuary
> do all that the Lord has commanded." Exodus 36:1)
> 
>  
> 
> Play the music within, the rhythm, the one step, two step;
> run your fingers, slide them from fret to fret, hammer down,
> bend the strings, the portamento of meadow birds seeking a mate.
> 
>  
> 
> There is no audience, there is no band,
> the chairs are silent, the club stands at the bus stop in
> the middle of another white choking blizzard. All the snow
> has been shoveled, one corner to the next, and piled high in front
> of every venue's door.
> 
>  
> 
> No one can make it in tonight, no one is leaving home;
> only those trapped within tonight, will sing and man the phones
> that will not ring; midnight until gray dawn.
> 
>  
> 
> Play the music again, the ivory as yellow as granddad's dentures,
> the keys full of sidewalk cracks. The blues is invented on nights like
> these,
> the grace notes on granite uprights are more good-natured with the oil
> of a thousand fingers anointing them from smoky goodnights until
> unexpected hellos.
> 
>  
> 
> Honestly, I would rather sneak up and play with those who stay behind
> and find the songs that mother taught mother once her aunt and uncle
> passed down the tempo that history insisted upon. I had heard it all speed
> and trap; they played it lazy and snapped just behind beat number three.
> 
>  
> 
> And I sat there, relearning the songs I thought I discovered back between
> Berkeley and Haight-Ashbury. Instead it was Carolina and the Virginias
> where the skilled workers passed the simplest movements down through
> vinyl and time.
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> mark p.
> 
> lamppoet@centurytel.net
> 
>  
> 
> Mark's Blog
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> 
> 
> 
>  For subscription information, visit <http://www.rowan.edu/~kilroy/CHRISTIA>
>  To leave the list, send the command UNSUB CHRISTIA to LISTSERV@LISTS.ASU.EDU

Just curious.. the title to your peom is James allan blues,is there more? I liked it and find your writing very good!!

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Re: [CHRISTIA] new poetry, "When I Listen to James Alley Blues" "GodsVengenceIsMine@gmail.com" <nomuffstootough@gmail.com> - 2017-10-22 12:00 -0700

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