Blog #53: Duke Ellington

Duke Ellington

puts me

In A Sentimental Mood

His music

created

composed

enjoyed

before I was even born

His life

gone

before my mother was

the ripe age of five

Now

he is long gone

And my mother

is no longer five

In fact

she watched

as four children

sprinted past that age too

Started composing their own music

Started listening

to jazz

And now

when I listen

to jazz

I'm reminded of her son

my brother

And the sound of his saxophone

filling our home

I'm reminded of band concerts

Sprinting out the door

Another pair of black dress pants

too short

I'm reminded of

my other brother

Age eleven

His first prom

Tuxedo vest

from our uncle's wedding

just months before

Playing drums

in a band

Soft jazz tunes

as seventeen year olds

in too much makeup

and too much cologne

tried not to get pasta sauce

on

expensive dresses

and rented suits

But really

It might not be

Duke Ellington

putting me

In A Sentimental Mood

Maybe it's just

me grasping to

memories

of times that are no more

As I am old

and far away

and busy

Besides

It's not like we ever listened to Duke Ellington

anyway

We listened to Santana

In case you're wondering; yes, that really is me as a fat baby with a blonde mullet on the left. Thanks, Mom.