Welcome to Colin Richard James!

Tonight I'd like to post some poems by Colin Richard James, a British-born poet who is new to The Song Is...

THE POLITICS OF CIVILIZATION

                            My friend Helen is in

                            the possession of such beauty

                            that the simple task

                            of entering a room

                            is fraught with anxiety

                            and trepidation.

                            She started wearing a Burka

                            but found herself being directed

                            towards any sofa where

                            the celebrities of the quiz show

                            'WHAT'S MY LINE' held forth.

                            Specifically Kitty Carlisle 

                            and the weekly Mystery Guest.

                            Questions like, "Are you in Show Business?" 

                            "Does the sun ever set on your tuckus?" 

                            "Are you the definitive of the modern pose?"

                            So she became a lesbian

                            not out of sexual preference,

                            but rather the joy of walking in Noho

                            amongst quiet confidants. She Has

                            also learned an effective verbal retort 

                            if propositioned by lewd thugs,

                            "I will if you shave your legs!"

 SPLENDOR 

                           Uncle Leonard is in the music room

                           listening to his rock and roll.

                           Mother is disappointed.

                           Expecting more involvement, inclusion

                           she asked him to make a salad.

                           Which he did, even used her two hanging 

                           baskets an earthy concoction indeed.  

                           Mother usually rues the compost heap.

                           Although the salad turned out quite

                           tasty, Leonard might be on to

                           something even more enticingly cool.

A BIRDWATCHER'S RADICAL REMINISCENT

                                       The bird's call sounded

                                       like a bicycle bell,

                                       that and a computer breathing

                                       ending on the taught exhale.

                                       My guide always informative,

                                       hung her strapless binoculars on

                                       their belt clip a biodiversity present.

                                       We had discussed communicative 

                                       hand signals, hers simple

                                       economically less than seven.

                                       We began to crawl through some bushes

                                       she on three limbs, one hand

                                       for me directive and solemn.

                                       I followed attentive to everything

                                       rubbing a scratch thigh or higher,

                                       senses resolute denoted a clearing.

Bio..

Colin James has a book of poems, Resisting Probability, from

Sagging Meniscus Press. He lives in Massachusetts...........direct link to SMP titles

Let's include some music, too, starting with some Freddie Hubbard.

Here is his "Skagly" from 1980:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8M-x9V46KU

"Happiness is Now" is from the same album: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WD4nxRTDLh8

The guitarist Gabor Szabo keeps popping up on my You Tube.  Here is his "Lady in the Moon":  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fl4qwBJrTX0

I'll finish with his "Galatea's Guitar":  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZp_nGMj6GE

Enjoy!