POETRY & MUSIC / Thelonious Monk

IT'S THE BEATS, IT'S THE JAZZ, IT'S THE MONK

My poem Milton's Playland is written in response to @robyneggs poetry prompt. To fully appreciate the poem it helps to be familiar with the era of jazz that flourished in the 1950's and 1960's. Back then all of the IN-PEOPLE were known asCool Cats, and grooved to the music of Billie Holiday and Thelonious Monk.

Milton's Playland is now as it was back then, a jazz club in Manhattan. It is also the setting for my poem. To get the full affect when you read it play this Youtube video of Thelonious Monk for background noise.


Milton's Playland

Thelonious buzz,
the black print
on Ivory keys.

One crazy cat
stoned in his tower.
Crescent moon questions,

radically rocking,
Blue Monk
with discordant notes,

the arrows of light,
the arrows that pierce
a cold heart,

then cry
in soul voice
that flowers in whiskey.

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