if you ask Telford
he does not know how old he is
this he knows
Dominica is a green and sandy island
at dark
covered in music
estrellitas at counter point
Dominica conjours
street jump ups
moko jumbies striding
colors loosed from kaleidoscope
swirling free
steel bands
children's hands patting
women's hips swaying with delicious
men smiling big teeth
and he
kept the pulse
with his djun-djuns
hands slapping goat skin
bare feet patting dirt
joy
lapping at his mouth
if you ask
he does not know where he lives
this he knows
his djun-djuns are gone
his wide hipped wife
who rocked him slowly is gone
his children are gone
if you ask
he does not know who he is
this he knows
he misses
Dominica
a green and sandy island
______
he cannot speak
this tall and beautiful man
but if you remind him
that he once played trumpet with Count Basie
his brown eyes swim
and he scats
beedley bop bop booey
diddley dot dot dooey…
dah dah dah dah dah dah dah
and if you mention
One O'Clock Jump
his good hand cannot be still
moves that slide memory
back and forth
tears pouring down his face
and there
in tall silent silhouette
appears Herb
the young man
who once played trumpet
with Count Basie
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