Classic Poem

The whole town used to gather around
the four bands in the four saloons on the corner

Okey Poke used to tend bar
behind a diamond sunflower stickpin
and the gambler Ed Mochez
who left a hundred and ten suits
when he died, played every hand
of poker like a tiger

People in and out day and night
all raising simultaneous barrelhouse cain.

Where is Willie the Pleaser?
Always women running after him
that sweetback man kind of strutting
with it in a very mosey walk
from down the river called
Shooting the Agate.

One day a boy picked up a flute
and started right in playing it
Showed everybody what is a flute!

Walked over to a saxophone
and damn if he didn't start
making the thing just talk!

" Go, my son, and riff it through the land "
and he went
through manhood
in his comic little hat.
He'd walk out on the stage and say
" I'd like to introduce my band "
and introduced the musicians to each other.
Then he'd step back, tilt his horn
and blow a high note of emancipation.
Then the reeds would liquefy
and move out,
far out on a mellow riff
and his trombones
peppered dirty notes
to make it real
and church rocked!
not a chick in town
was safe until the blues cut him down.

The origin of the blues?
Always been
Some poor hustling woman
feeding her fancy Dan
in the servants' room
some poor guy
playing a mysterious bass
fatherless figure on his trombone
or braying on it like a jack
(the porter in the barber shop)

some underground Jupiter grieving:
" Lord, your servant Juba lives in hog slop.
Give this offchild your medicinal herbs,
root of the master weed, Peter's roots
and May apple and sweet William. "

The origin of the blues?
The white hero!