Pray for the lovers
for those who are suspicious
for those who are jealous
for those who are revengeful
Pray for the lovers
for those who are unsatisfied
for those who are frightened
for those who are disappointed
pray for those who are lonely lazy & limited
Pray for the lovers
for those unwilling to reveal & unable to revolt
for those who are helpless
for those who are hostile
for those whose flesh goes dead upon touching
the frigid
the passive
the latent
the soft
have mercy on the lovers in heat
pray for those with pain in their bodies
pain in their minds
When I pat this floor with my tap, when I slide on air and fill this horn intimate with the rhythm of my two drums.
When I cross kick scissor locomotive take four for nothing four we’re gone.
When the solidarity of my Yoruba turns join these vibrato feet in a Johnny Hodges lick a chorus of insistent Charlie Parker riffs.
When I stretch out for a chromatic split together with my double X converging in a quartet of circles.
When I dance my spine in a slouch slur my lyrics with a heel slide arch these insteps in free time.
When I drop my knees, when I fold my hands, when I decorate this atm
If the drum is a woman
why are you pounding your drum into an insane
babble
why are you pistol whipping your drum at dawn
why are you shooting through the head of your drum
and making a drum tragedy of drums
if the drum is a woman
don’t abuse your drum don’t abuse your drum
don’t abuse your drum
I know the night is full of displaced persons
I see skins striped with flames
I know the ugly disposition of underpaid clerks they constantly menstruate through the eyes
I know bitterness embedded in flesh
the itching alone can drive you crazy
I know that this is America and c
