who gave us the drop-legged stride
twirled in airports
wore jeweler’s glasses & the flamboyant hat
who muttered & slammed
said ain’t no wrong notes on the piano
dashed to the keys bristling & snapping
then the long silence
the unencumbered
unrippling keys:
lake at dawn
owl’s flight
empty boulevard
turning in quarters
he in quarters turning
step & thrust
the tapdancer’s flourish
you can see it:
listening is almost enough
almost enough almost
enough then
it’s
suddenly
not