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Table of Contents for Issue 17/18

This work first appeared in Gargoyle, issue #17/18. Please respect the fact that this material is copyrighted. It is made available here without charge for personal use only. It may not be stored, displayed, published, reproduced, or used for any other purpose without the express consent of the author or artist.

Reincarnation

Maxine Clair

I'm coming back as a melody
a noble thoughtfeelingemotion
to give birth to me as
a clear soft Fitzgerald's note
in Ella's throat high and afar
a whole note trebling on.
I will come down on a Mills Brothers' bass
slow deep heavy
as an incarnation of Miles' prince
I'll transpose myself into three quarter time,
and come down on down
to the earthy bluesy sensuous level
where Bessie, Billie, Vaughn and McRae
will stretch me out
entwining my limbs around sixteen bars.
I'll swing away with effortless ease
monkeying around in the aura of Thelonius
touching on all levels
I'll make riffs chased by Ellington
classical fingers
keeping my rhythm with the untold talents
of immortal Steveland

when I tire of gliding through octaves,
I'll level off to that one note
held in Louie's horn
where I'll skip on and on with MJQ
in scat bop style through time, yes,
I'm coming back as a melody.

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