Absent Sounds

Betty hopping twisting hip quick flick of leg arms in air pas de deux the two alone with Joe she pulling wrists back gracefully going in suspended crawl position back up Forbes popping bites of brass Joe shaking stepping stamping mime at play Steve sweet slide down clarinet Betty rocks hard sensually ascetic Shoe keeping the jazz balance

Betty is star here lotus position suspended by sprawled fingers balanced as a slide rule on ball of foot twisting into Noh stance samurai ready at the sword all imagination is here in her play she slaps her thigh up and kicks and taps Joe shimmering like jello to the woman’s hard edges
 
Libras of Sound

Bongos and bear drum go slow patter rain and acorns falling chocolate lab scratches ear adds to rhythm that picks up like a rolling river floating river boats down the amazon pumping funk soft as a dog’s furry back polyrhythms start the crowds walking at different paces down the afternoon ave herds of bucking water buffalo

Mini clarinet comes in like a tumbler of rum poured on a table dripping down the cloth onto the African floor shimmy shaking drums lifting up the liquid like a wicker basket hard songbird call free blow mellow chugging bongo slapping clapping water music wood on plastic skin on skin bloop and glug in tandem and cross weave
 
Low

The priest and the yogi
secular atop the hill,
the Common hill
solider and sailor
monument

The gentleman
smoking a marijuana
cigarette mixed with tobacco,
I with my book of poems
and he with an interest

so I shared in return
for a smoke, my poem
“Philosophy”, on Heidegger,
on time and cause and the will
homeless he was,

this Indian, intellectual,
versed in material philosophy
“not to be caused, like the weather,”
he said; “to be your own will,”
I returned… and then we left
 
Woodstock 43

Every year it happens,
the anniversary
of August 15, 1969
this year on 18
crowds scattered scant

and mellow on grass
round snare and cello
or lazy guitar and voice
no thousands in rain
seeing Hendrix

burn his brain…
it’s all about the interlocking teams
let me help you help me
help you, as Forbes says,
piping his popping trumpet

to Betty and Joe,
and it is as good as gold
as gold slicing down the sky
as lightning on 20,000,
the rain as real
 
Andy Allen

Friendship Ceremonies Evan Parker wariness on tenor sax tremor fire rolling up in a ball tossed slow through space splayed sound flayed like meat flesh hard expectation surprised tremolo urging anger in a sea of peace all comes out right under the rainbow slow like a river boat on Ole Miss the muddy sunlight pink with promise prowess pushing the growth out strong John Butcher style self echoes ultimately Urs the bear in space dipping the ladle into scream screaching away into distance quieting quitting gone
 
Veils

Withered bud in evening
Still wet with afternoon rain
Bells going soft in the loud
Distance, crinkling
And wrinkled into nothing