The man who never forgot how to dancefor my father
When you tried to walk through the wall you were stillliving at home. What did you see beyondthe opacity of brick? You were so sureit would absorb you that moments passed beforereality kicked in and, furious, you pushed the boundariesof that curious borderline, grazing palms and skinningknuckles. Taking your arms — just like they'd said to,or perhaps I'd read somewhere — I put one of my handson your shoulder, one of yours at my waistand clasped the other, hummed a little.You calmed and smiled and started waltzing, mefollowing and following your unfaltering lead towardsthe armchair by the window where you satand, quite suddenly,fell asleep in the afternoon sun.
–Virginia Jealous
Chooka's got gift
Susan Boyle was firstand who heard of Chooka Parkerexcept his shearing mates and dadbeating rhythms on oil drums;the dad who let Chooka growin open hands pointing to a limitless loveno ego, no standards.Chooka did you proud, displayedand played his soul across the keyboardI saw his heart open wide, keyspercussed and loved to lifeChooka drew closer, his nose on the keys,eyes shut in intimate embrace.He did not see their jaws drop.
–Marlene Marburg
A plague of persistent happiness
Won
We are old enough to discover pleasure.Not wise enough to bury it.All have been in traininglouche lips sink shipsstretch them till the fillings shimmereach tongue is a long distance swimmer.
Can I rest yet? Never ...the extra mile of smilesgoes all exponential,a drink at the local bar graphwith 16 friends, real friendswho love you to stasis.Grey abandon. Pip the epiphany.
Lip-gloss on a grassfire. Be aware,the next step involves dance,underwear pulsesport of our fingerstapped over, look, ah,eyes soldered to the ceiling.
This injury of enjoyment ...the mind tinkleslike an Indian jewellery stand.
Work-worn knees will forget their appointment, disappointments —a knobby spectacle up a lavish Mother Brown —towns frown but still the wild content —cheese in please, tactile tentatives topriapic pyramids, resolutely relished.
Too
A fundamental wrongness of longnessfatigues the soul. Guitar scarmandolin terrapinsshrug off their shells, sprinklewrinkles like star-splay.
Five days later the mouth is dried & the jaw is maw.Beg for the balm of odium,maybe a diminutive boredom.We are born to swing but the muscles set.Seems even harmony is a habitwith a rocketbut burn, burnup. The solace of ash ...our crash in the sphereswill be historic.
–Les Wicks
Nursing home visit
My mother waves away greeting.Despite dementia she has learntthe elusiveness of thought.
'Beautifulso beautiful ...blonde hair!curls, you know,blue eyesand he wears theloveliest of ...what are