Jimmy Santiago Baca

Listening to Jazz Now

Listening to Jazz Now - context Summary

Joyful Moment in Durango

This poem records a specific, joyful moment in the poet’’’’’’’’’life: listening to jazz while sunlight and small pleasures—friendship, a dog, simple food, a riverbank stroll—create contentment. Images of a smoky bar and stylish patrons ground the feeling in a sensory scene. It appears rooted in a real occasion in Durango and reflects the poet’’’’’’’’’personal happiness rather than an abstract argument or narrative.

Read Complete Analyses

Listening to jazz now, I'm happy sun shining outside like it was my lifetime achievement award. I'm happy, with my friend and her dog up in Durango, her emailing me this morning no coon hound ailing yowls vibrant I love yous. I'm happy, my smile a big Monarch butterfly after having juiced up some carrots, garlic, seaweed, I stroll the riverbank, lazy as a deep cello in a basement bar— smoke, cagney'd out patrons caramel and chocolate women in black shoulder strap satin dresses, and red high heels.

default user
PoetryVerse just now

Feel free to be first to leave comment.

8/2200 - 0