McCoy ... McCoy
inside/outside always there --
Piano bombs crush velvet red
Indigo chords with lush life chants
Cymbals sock down home
Philly funk. Eyes watering smoke
As taut bass strings mesmerize modal melodies.
Quick/stop new-time
Bebop melodies.
McCoy ... McCoy inside/outside always there ---
Blurred black burning fingers paint ivory smoke.
Spot lights glaring red,
Like jungle-lit leopard's eyes running home
The tenor gospelizing “Mary don't you
weep' chants.
McCoy ... McCoy
inside/outside chants:
Conjure Fats Waller's derby melodies,
Conjure Monk's Five Spot home.
Where once, Sun Ra's Egyptian space lingered there,
Where once, Trane & Johnny Griffin's tenors heated red;
Their lips reed thin push/pull magic horn's volcanic smoke.
Amidst the Village
Gate's vapid smoke
Elvin's tap dances melodies
That splash Atlantic waves red.
Beige sticks dit bam dit chants.
McCoy ... McCoy inside/outside always there--
These raucous spirits traveling home.
Riding a raft
home,
With Love Supreme “A' Trane smoke,
McCoy ... McCoy inside/outside always there--
Our ear drums searing with chants--
While fire candle's shadow/dance light melodies
Our lungs scream applause, and eyes tear traffic light red.
Call down spirits
red,
Call down spirits home,
Call down sculptured clavier chants,
Call down bitter mahogany smoke.
Call down, call down, piano heaven melodies.
McCoy ... McCoy inside/outside always there--
Walk past 8th
Street templated home spitting bruised blues smoke,
With windows sweating red as its concrete skins vibrate melodies
of chants-- McCoy ... McCoy inside/outside always there.
(c)1988 Len Fraser
Originally published in The Black Scholar, Fall 1988
