Friday, February 04, 2011

Poetry Friday -- Jazz



















The chocolate tasting that was scheduled for last night was postponed, so we substituted a trip to Scotties for whatever live music was there. We were surprised by some good enough jazz, played by a band named Standard Time. 

There was no dance floor, the bassist was not tall and thin, and we didn't stay very late because it was a school night after all.  But it still made me think about Billy Collins' poem:



from Questions About Angels
by Billy Collins
(the whole poem is at Poetry Foundation...this is just the end)


The only question you ever hear is about
the little dance floor on the head of a pin
where halos are meant to converge and drift invisibly.

It is designed to make us think in millions,
billions, to make us run out of numbers and collapse
into infinity, but perhaps the answer is simply one:
one female angel dancing alone in her stocking feet,
a small jazz combo working in the background.

She sways like a branch in the wind, her beautiful
eyes closed, and the tall thin bassist leans over
to glance at his watch because she has been dancing
forever, and now it is very late, even for musicians.


The Poetry Friday roundup today is at Dori Reads. Dance on over and enjoy today's poetry offerings!


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9 comments:

  1. Anonymous9:31 AM

    Sounds like a great substitution. I missed our chocolate fest but will go next year. Love the Collins poem. Could you please send us one day's worth of snow?

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  2. Hee hee! "And now it is late, even for musicians" Love it. What a great piece. I will think of that now, whenever I see a bassist. Thanks for sharing.

    I think the idea of a chocolate tasting between friends is genius. I hope you can reschedule!

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  3. Such a cool poem. I love bass players, thin or otherwise, and the image of a lone angel dancing in her stocking feet is wonderful. Late, even for musicians. Brilliant.

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  4. Anonymous1:48 PM

    I agree it was a nice substitute for chocolate. I think that angels will now make me think of jazz and vice versa.

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  5. Anonymous6:25 PM

    Love the surprise and the wit of those last two lines!
    Tara
    http://tmsteach.blogspot.com/

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  6. "now it is very late, even for musicians." - That really made me smile!

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  7. Collins always leads me sidelong into the unexpected.
    We mortals need some sleep, even the late-night jazz owls. Angels are as bad as babies: up all hours without a thought about the future.

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  8. Great post, Mary Lee - thanks for sharing one of Collins' poems I was unfamiliar with. Hope you eventually get to taste some chocolate!

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