The poems of Cliff Chandler stirs our souls and renews our interest in Poetry
And We
Written by, Cliff Chandler © Copyright
The things I wish
I’d said
and things
you’d say
and we.
And things we cannot
share
and
the we
of
Not being us;
Holding Strangers.
Sting Goddess, Sing Goddess © Copyright
Written by, Cliff Chandler
There’s something in Billy’s voice
Lady Day, if you’re from the moon;
That projects her presence
When you hear her sing.
It’s like she’s standing there
Reaching down into your soul.
She had a tear in her voice
That something unique
God gives special people.
She fought for her
Existence,
Our right to be
And became a slave songstress
To a mythical God of peace.
Sting song, mooch sing
Blurred eyes, tear drop
Gardenia formed your crown
Dust polluted your segregated Soul.
Sing Goddess, Sting Goddess
Sing cry, and we
We honor your pain song.
The last time I saw you
Was the last time I heard
You sing.
We stand on you shoulders
In retrospect, and crown
Your funeral Pyre.
You, Bessie, Bethune, Rosa, Dinah,
Buck, and Louie.
Weeping in pain Sting
Before Malcolm and King
Paying our dues.
Ain’t nobody’s business
Nobody’s business but your own;
Had we known your sickness
Was not a crime
We would have marched sooner…
Perhaps?
Sting Goddess, Sing Goddess
Forgive us.
. Gypsy (c)
Written by, Cliff Chandler
To think of you
And passioned nights;
Forever days
And
Misty flights.
Fantasy, reality
Become one
As we embrace.
Bench Man
Written by, Cliff Chandler ©
One day I saw a man
Dressed in the New York Times,
The Daily News
The New York Post?
He wouldn’t stoop
To The Amsterdam News
Big Red
They
Were published uptown…
He was a Lower-East-Side-Black
Dressed in a Charcoal Grey suit
Stuffed with newspapers.
On the first cold day
He disappeared
Only to return as a
Fabric tent.
Blankets covered
His confused state on a
Park bench.
In memory of the Bench Man of First Avenue.
Tracy
Written by,
Cliff Chandler © Copyright
I want to hear Tracy Chapman
Sing Give Me One Reason and
Make her change her mind.
I want to hear Eddie Clean-Head Vinson
Sing about a woman with gread big legs,
I want to hear Dinah Washington sing anything.
I want to hear Al Hibbler sing Trees
I want to hear Tracy sing some Blues,
And Amazing Grace.
I want to hear Tracy sing.
Haiku
Jazz
Written by, Cliff Chandler©
Fingers dancing on
A keyboard that sings Jazz when
The sound is heard.
Touch
Written by. Cliff Chandler ©
A silk garment felt
And your life began in a
Moment of passion.
Day Break, Sunset
Written by Cliff Chandler
A golden sunrise
A yellow evolving dawn
Sun sets day ends.
Humor,
Written by Cliff Chandler ©
It makes sense
When we realize how simple
Life is; we live, we die.
Well Done Miss Simone
Written and read by
Cliff Chandler (c)
Billy Holiday,
photographer unknown
PORTRAIT FROM THE CD COVER THE ESSENTIAL NINA SIMONE BY BMG MUSIC, NEW YORK, NY
You've heard the poem, now you must purchase and enjoy the hypnotic recording.
Well Done, Miss Simone
Written by, Cliff Chandler
The woman could sing
And the woman could
Play. She was a teacher,
And she was a preacher.
They say beauty is skin
Deep, I say beauty in
One's eyes.
Lord Nina had beautiful eyes
And she was skin-deep.
Her name is Peaches, but
She didn't forget Aunt Sarah
Told the world what she
Thought of Mississippi
In empirical terms.
The woman could make
A Steinway talk, and
She had Billy's tear in
Her voice, and Sarah's
Tonality.
Sarah who, Sassy
Sarah Vaughn, that's
Who, and Billy
Billy Holiday, hello!
She taught men
What a woman is
And women too.
Lord she was an artist
Lord she was an artist.
Baby we're gonna
Miss you, miss your
Clout.
Miss your love, and
God knows we're going
To miss your gift.
Nina had style, went
To sleep in the shadows
Of the Eiffel Tower a
Long way
From them cotton fields
Back Home, Bon voyage
My love, bon voyage.
Well done, well done,
Miss Simone.
