POEMS FOR BUTCH MORRIS
by Steve Dalachinsky
Conduction 118
(Butch Morris @ Tonic)
the line blurred
the image made obscure
this is relentless irrelevantly seeming
tie between music & blood
fingers flicking like violin string
plucked
the almost spasmodic near-nausea blending
of dare i say unearthly sounds
oh lowly creatures that we are
wretched devisors
tunnel taxed to its maximum
capacity the suddenness of that precise
abrupt light on an unclean watch
the spill as spread across the floor
like the turntable-ist’s scratch
within infant genes
of orchestra
here i put the fabric that
holds me in place
peel the music of its layers
lie within the belly of the crater
tulip’s star black & golden
star created by fantasorganismic erupt
corrupting the purity of oh that’s
Butch up there batoning his arms into oceans
Billy’s eyes awaiting the signal
Christian turning near dulled fingers wiped clean of prints
Sharp printing electric power pages
scouring the very hairs of our souls
skinned Graham’s skinned Simon’s busy reverse
young women in black cloth darting & re-inverting
your indentured crown of swallowed thorns
revealed to as i revel in this
the moment itself axiom cleaned & made clear
at the roots the very fragmented pulsing of
a lost bewildered melody a flickering of heartpump
& here i close uncountable letters
typed onto my biology
residing in the residue of me
plain/thinking being
resident reflection of mankind
residue of calculated risk.
SKYSCRAPER
(Butch Morris @ the Bowery Poetry Club 7/16/02)
set 2 pc. #1
of
kith kin
beneath skin
the amber waves
stretching toward stretching
of
mts of highways of
mts of
bricked up crazy waking evening
cooing warble of ghost
of middle passion
blown thru interior of
body contained in long long line that is a country’s breath
locked down tight frenzy of the skull’s transition
allaholymessomissinglinks apeak & chirpin inta foward
CROWD ME don’tCROWDME
upascape & down another scaling the tipper scales the falling light
a skyhook caught across acoming tongue of stripe-jacketed monumoments
cycling as a solo jaggedz thru a tunnel-o-tunes
tipsy, conductor snoops last stop the night that pass amidst its passage
of pith & spin
& cold flattened metal
oh the headshot
& the long dark march
toward the bottom of the sky
mts of highways of mts of climbers &
jumpers & skiers & droppers &
pushers & ash spangled
breathbones
the song of off-scale sorrow beyond the beauty of sorrow
above the murderous hurtling joys of flesh
scarification of witness to the scrappers
now fell from the mouth of the world
now scraped from the tongue of the world
so let them lie make love & dream atop the straw
the soft soft straw
that only barely saturates their tender skins.
CONDUCTION IS:
insert remove revert divert & move an
entrance into:
a trusting blind allegiance / a new kind of freedom
/ FREEDOM / bridging space
dome of the rock / what’s inside the stone / infusing
ideas with passion
po-po-iee-tick-s as the train of music moves
CONDUCTION
as the clouds pile thru the
speaker logic / wangle mangle tingle / mingle
pulsing portraits & unlimited
possibilities / life melodies & solar flexes
weaving charged miles / toward
the greater journey / a way to shape / reshape
connect instant
graffiti & gratification
disconnect reconnect
interlocking & unlocking / immediate social
& musical network / FLOW
the flame itself / right down to the bone
/ sweating glass of daydreams
diverse significant appropriate evening out / serendipitous /
charged
moving & textural / evocative challenging
conventional & traditional expectation
powerful communicative & emotional a new way in which
music is composed & played
something that makes one think spontaneously
resonating / interpretative / forward looking / significant /
subversive / submersive
a way to reshape audience expectation
textural / thematic / melodious / dynamic / tonal / repetitive /
modulated / gentle
connecting the VAROOOOOMM KAZOOOOM
& basic fabric
pulsing harmonic waves / river into sea / sea to endless sea
/ responsive / fluid
moving toward a greater journey / charged with miles of
mobile invisible apparel
crescendo-causing / punctuated / swelling / echoing /
divergent / suggestive
rhythmic / thematic / orchestral / syncopated
melting bottomless constancy emotive & profound knowing
soaring heartbeat / interplay / breath /
explosive
inspired frenzy aggressive floating tapestry
“disappearing into concentrated bursts
appearing reappearing
disappearing.”
buzzing punctuation / punctuation is repeat
repeat
smooth combative intuitive astonishing absolute
energy aspiring
inspiring.
syncopated free structure(d) rising rolling timeless
currents of sound
resonant throbbing pulsing emotion
unifying cadences
gliding guiding arousing illuminating
suggestive / melodic / allowing swirling patterns
/ pulling and
releasing,
interpretative evocative moving demanding
a means to expand
contract
compress express
a way of sticking together a receding
tide an onslaught of waves
strength of vocabulary applied / spontaneous interpretation of
the score / process /
moving through sharp
staccatos / subtle incomprehensible magic
the elegance of a solo/ arpeggios / a wash of melodies
keeping the tonal thematic consistency
foundations that support soaring beyond
itself gentle currents that stir beneath
then explode in ultimate resonating tonal punches
devastating crescendos
surrendering to the challenge there are no illusions
left to illuminate & create
ONLY REALITY
sound & motion intertwined varied &
self-perpetuating
the river conducted down to the sea / a stream of seen &
unseen waves
the sea accepts the river
as the 2 mix & mingle / direct / hands
on / alive / naked
as the conductor of a train
of thought moves circumstance
as circumstance becomes unhinged
by chance & discovery
& the plick-aschwaaaaa & the schwoosh
dome of the rock & what is inside the
stone whole & fragmented
unlocking the mind soul spirit
heart flesh insides
& outsides
transformative & transitional / expansive &
extending
hot looming medium finishing with
brilliant beginnings. life melodies. breathing.
river into the ocean ocean
becoming sky.
Conduction # Infinity (Out of Reach but Never Out
of Touch)
1.
Butch: his mischievous smile > stern look > open laugh >
dapper apparel >
a real dandy > like back in the days when > his midrange slightly
twanged voice >
everything I’ll say is clichéd pompous emotional > rubbed in ashes
at times > such elaborate performance we produce sometimes for no
one > the wind > trees > the rushing water > walking on hot
coals to emit a portrait of pain > among the last & first
budding flowers & weeds > his baton / those lighter than air
dancing shoes > gentlemanliness > his overall attire that gruff
little me admired so much > his NEATNESS > those dancing shoes
those dancing shoes > that held him firmly in place > he passed
the way neighborhoods pass yet always sustain their quality >
personality > somewhere in the brick > the way seasons pass &
are replaced always by hosts of new hustlers > new lovers>
& he one of the last of the real of the real > a unique lover of
the unique & loved by all > the unique & mundane alike >
come again next fall > winter > spring > summer > come
again in storm & dust > those dancing shoes that I wanted so
much > last of the real of the real > dancing on indifferent
waters…
2.
it’s warm grey > a partial of a bridge floats between 2 buildings
> bare trees blanket the river > a lifetime’s profound effect
inspires the music’s language > qualities > progress >
shared experiences on & off the bandstand > intelligence >
compassion > passion > courage > contact > appreciation
> special > gifted > interpersonal > shrewd > sharp
always zeros in on feelings & strengths > brought out the best
in all > presence > worked with nurturing > worked til the end
> gave as he danced in those special shoes > baton wave(r)ing
> all for the flight the stage the flow the all the legacy for
the future to be taken > remarkably dignified > professional >
though sometimes lost his cool > always taught with his presence
> treated all as equals > a prime element of conduction > open
direct validation > hey I’m with the band I’d feel sometimes >
those dancing shoes that held him in place rooted to the NOW > truly
always in the instance > makes you get it > get what he gets >
the essence of the process > challenging > demanding >
draining > gotta get it right > you knew when he knew he got it
right > that smile the body relaxing > though he never felt
secure > gave more than enough > but when he felt he failed or
that he didn’t go far enough you saw it on his face & when he
succeeded you saw it on his face > that smile > the baton
relaxing > worked with every type of person > instrument in
completely unique ways developed a new concept of world music taking it
far beyond that simple term > far beyond the world creating a world
of worlds > a clinician bridging 2 worlds 3 worlds endless worlds
> how he made the musicians & instruments react/interact >
musician & instrument becoming one > helped folks connect with
their inner voice > understand & tap into their strengths >
mixing their personal languages with his > travelling around the
world like running up & down stairs > room heart mind journey
commitment > the work always first > well maybe not always >
nothing can stop this force even up to the end > radiates > a
special relationship with everyone > heartbreaker with the skill to
be a real human being > & so CHARMING >
a charmer a lover > the more one let one self go the more one
understood the concept he put forth both audience & orchestra >
world traveler dandy handled his illness positively privately
maturely > a mature guy this Butch > a child a dandy a flirt >
the band became his family as did his friends & his audience >
we all became his lovers of sorts > this perfectionist who rehearsed
performed demanded > he left me his extra food coupons in Marseilles
& a drawer full of vitamins too > & when I finally got the
process his concept what conduction was wow I was up there with him
expecting laughing scowling relaxing tensing up getting frustrated or
getting HIGH > he was a one of a kind > his contributions will
live on > he will & does have imitators but not duplicators >
disciples even > filled with exploration > fiery dancey >
shoes I want those shoes that dignified presence on the dance floor
> as I said he was a hard task master but when he got the results he
wanted everyone knew it everyone felt it everyone got it >
transcendent > like dancing on different waters > bridging >
expanding > building > a life partially hidden by the seasons
> like dancing on different waters > last of the real of the real
> spirit genius > genuine > scraping the sky with his wand
> wandering into the void a partial of a bridge suspended between 2
buildings sunset a lifetime blanketed by a river of trees…………………….
|