POEM: HAVE YOU EVER BEEN A SAXOPHONE
Have You Ever Been A Saxophone
a breath blown
softly intoned through curved metal
tubing blew in dazzling duo with the germane glow of life
gleaming in the gloaming of a gardenia-honeyed evening
have you ever
been a song sung in lyrical falsetto
a melody of sensitivity and sincerity
ear caressing, confessing yes, yes love is a sweet wonder
have you ever
riden a funky rift with the amazing grace
of a soft shoe toe tapper patting out a discreet beat
as you lightly and politely step through the gentle rush
of the erotic movement of slow sucking the tender of ten tan toes
have you ever
nimbly negoitiated complex changes
with moves so smooth you make silk seem rough
as you unerringly address each emotional moment calling coitus
by its familiar names like saying heart be still, skin stop trembling
when i come to see you i'm running cause walking is much too slow
have you ever
been so cool in your ecstatic quiverings
that even your shouts come out as hoarse whisperings
and the grunt of your getting it on evidences itself as a one on
one directional moan, oh baby, come on if you coming, come on
have you ever
been a saxophone, a red saxophone gently blown tenderly as red tyler
resplendently fingering the keys of our feelings, his horn a house
of joy from which dew drops drip as he smiles, winks and slips unobtrusively back into
the mouth of god, the only womb
from which such a magnificent musician could possibly issue
alvin red tyler, a red saxophone
when i grow to full maturity, that's the sound i want to be!
—kalamu ya salaam
