Joan McNerney's Poems about Monk, Picasso, Van Gogh, and the Buddha

Although I hope that you will want to learn more about the new contest in memory of Michael Brown (http://thesongis.blogspot.com/2014/11/new-contest-deadline-march-15-2015.html), let's return to our fall contest with Joan McNerney's poem honoring Monk.

Monk

Holy man of keys

sacred of emery and ivory.

Monk

Holy man of improv

swinging through space

Monk

Holy man of smooth

sliding over blue heartbeats.

Monk

Holy man of scync

sending us to beyond

Monk

In addition, Joan sent me some of her poems on art (two very famous paintings and one sculpture of the Buddha), so I thought you'd like to see them.

Pablo Picasso

Night Fishing at Antibes (1939)

What sort of night is this?

Demons are loose.  How

diabolically the sun shines

on this green ocean.

Is all the world upside down?

Fish fly in mountains while

respectable ladies bicycle

on rooftops.

Look!  A fisherman has struck

his spear into a whale, what

a nice warlock's stew!

Joan McNerney

Vincent Van Gogh

                

Starry Night (1889)

Circular wind wrapped

with sky and skull

Bulging fists of stars

blaze frantically.

Hurricane of the mind

split moon.

Cypress tree swirls through

liquid hills rapid sky.

Motionless lies the

faint town in hesitant

expectancy.

Joan McNerney

On Viewing Buddha in the Museum

Ommmm, cool Buddha

how  relaxing you are!

Your legs in lotus position

as you sit on jewel of flower.

Your right hand telling me

"be not afraid".

Your left giving me the universe,

sly fox!

I will spend this short hour with you.

Ah, you seem to wink at me.

I will then tickle your cozy toes,

tease you out of Nirvana.

Ommmm, holy, wise one.

Ghandarva! 

Joan McNerney

Now that we've enjoyed these words and images, let's also listen to a few more songs by Thelonious Monk.  

Here is his "Brilliant Corners," which fits our artistic theme:
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TLEPQZIVOg

This version of "Evidence" is from Japan in 1963:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qweSlfP6BtI

"Epistrophy" is from that same performance:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZ9El7k4mNo

We'll finish with his "Blue Bolivar Blues (Take 2)" from Monk's Dream (1963):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ub4V-j16lAk

Enjoy the poems from the fall contests, but be sure to take note of our new contest: http://thesongis.blogspot.com/2014/11/new-contest-deadline-march-15-2015.html

I will be interspersing some of the new poems with the old, especially once the semester is over and I have more time.