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MIPOesias Magazine ~  ISSN 1543-6063 Volume 15 ~ January to March 2004

THELONIUS MONK 
IN CALIFORNIA
by Bradley Mason Hamlin

Thelonius
it was “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes”
that captured me
your inside melody
standing out
against the already familiar
riffs
and suddenly I understood
what I had been missing
this junk-head genius
injecting
free flowing soul
the fingers
somehow knowing
exactly
when to grass
hopper
jump
to plink
plank
dank
roll
baby roll
and they said you were insane
and I reckon most good ones are
in order to truly
think outside the box
to feel the invisible curve
of the sweet gypsy nipple
belly dancing
on the other side
of midnight
brother, you were reaching for
the secret Watusi
for the gold ring
between her thighs
her lips against the ocean waves
crashing inside your crazy heart
and I think you held her
and I think you made her sing
and I think I heard a moment
Monk,
a glimpse
a scent
the cinnamon smell of her lips
kissing the half notes
you tasted the impossible sugar
of her tongue
and like a hero
you brought it home to share.

artist Rene Andersson

poem © bradley mason hamlin  2004. 

poem © robert bohm 2004. all rights reserved.

Bradley Mason Hamlin was born in Los Angeles and raised on both the east and west sides of the territory. He served in the United States Navy from 1981 to 1984. He is a graduate of the University Of California where he studied poetry under the Pulitzer prize winning poet Gary Snyder. During this time Snyder dubbed Hamlin “The Road Warrior of poetry!” He lives in Sacramento, California with his wife Nicky and their many amazing children. His work has most recently appeared in Poems-For-All, remark., Thunder Sandwich, Impetus, The Juice, The Ragged Edge, and as a featured poet on the Poetry Super Highway. His latest book of poetry was published by Bottle Of Smoke Press.

Bio Notes
Click here to read Thirteen Scraps by Robert Bohm.