Original DDE™ surrealistic art: “Beautiful Blues” by: rob kistner © 7/20/24
S omewhere
between the creole shadow
of Basin Street Second Line
and the hell-raised echo
of the hollered anguish
of Beal Street’s blues
in a phantom sanctum
on the creaked-wood
beer-stained slat floor
of a temple of brown whisky
and warm steel-lanced escape
at the down and desperate
sorrowing hour of 3:00 am…
…they were all there together
lost seekers of saturday night
crowded into the pungent heat
of body to body to body
swayin’ noddin‘ n’boppin’
to forget
or to remember
or just feel pleasure’s embrace
when heaven cracked open a door
and a beautiful woman
seemed to appear on stage
held in the sea of riveted eyes
as an angel might materialize
layin’ down beautiful fire
on the wound taut strings
of her magic blues ax
bendin’ and caressin’ them
until they cried
the bittersweet tears of saints
she parted and twisted her lips
and belted
a rich honey’d bourbon sound
rose from her throat
rolled down her tongue
through those wonderful red lips
then floated like a velvet cloud
fillin’ the room with a miracle
that fell upon the gathered sinners
and all were sanctified
as this rain of bliss fell
and hurtin’ broke souls moaned
gloriously drenched
a melancholy dream
lifted every soul present
the players too ascended
and the beautiful blues lady glowed
in golden grace of transcendence
deliverance rolled
through the smoky haze
and sour-sweet darkness
of this human huddle
of need and frailty
as the band played on
devils danced with angels
till dawn
and demon-fire paused
for a raw
glorious night
as beautiful-lady blues
an apparition of salvation
with her purposeful fingers
strummed and power stroked
igniting waves of firebrand joy
beauty boldly brandished
her wooden wound-wire weapon
singing sweet sorrow n’release
‘til mornin’s pale amber light
called the resurrected home
Susan Tedeschi — blues lady herself.
*
rob kistner © 7/20/24
Poetry at: dVerse.
Poetry at: Poets & Storytellers.