Duke Ellington Solo Piano Concert

I've always loved Duke's playing. 

Recent Poem

 

SUBURBAN FROG

 

I stopped to stand

on a stone bridge

in the wetlands

I stopped to listen to

a frog’s monologue    donk  donk

but as I stopped he stopped –

all I heard was a handyman

thumping and sawing

to my left and to my right

space invaders in a backyard.

I stood and waited to

catch my breath and as I

waited frog started again    donk

closer seemingly      donk donk

under the bridge – and his throaty song

lightened my load    donk donk

and I smiled as I looked up

to the top of the tallest gum    donk

 

 

            ANDREW BURKE

            burkeandre@gmail.com

I DON'T OFTEN QUOTE CHARLES BUKOVSKI BUT HERE I DO

 "...poetry is survival, sir. it throws some of the stink bombs out of my room. if it comes as rhythm fine or physic, fine, any old way. I think of it more as a loaf of bread, a long fat hot loaf, sliced half down the middle, spread with pickles, onions, meats, garlic, chilies, old fingernails...add ice beer and a shot of scotch, ram it down under electric light, forget the mountains of faces and eyes and wrinkles and bombs and rent and graves, get it in, warm, smelling, filling, light a cigar, blow the whole room paint the whole room blue with smoke, play the radio, think of the bones of Chopin's left foot---that to me, is poetry, or zingplay, or the rays." Bukowski, 

SCREAMS FROM THE BALCONY - [To Allen DeLoach] February, 1967

PAPER! PAPER! READ ALL ABOUT IT

 Can I suggest you back Australian poetry by buying The SATURDAY PAPER and reading three poems by Chilian poet JUAN GARRIDO-SALGADO ? That's this week's issue - but the paper has a literary creative page each week which is worth reading - as they are scarce!

When You Coming Home Eric?

Review by Geoff Page in The Australian

 

DOMESTIC POEM

everyday

i’m going to write

a poem

about how my wife

does the washing

everyday

 

but i am too busy

hanging out the washing

 

as i peg

her knickers

to the frayed line

i think of robert frost

 

he said re free verse

to hang the washing out

without pegs you’d

have to tie shirt arms

to each other …

 

my brother colour codes

the pegs a line of red

and a line of green

and a line of blue

and a line of yellow

and a line of white

 

birds have pecked

this line for its

underlining for

their nests …

in autumn wispy curls

reflect my aged beard

 

my wife interrupts:

“what a lovely drying day!”

as she is wont to say

everyday

Tupelo's Own Elvis Presley DVD Promo Trailer

I've come across this Elvis montage in the '50s as research for my autobio. When I finish the section with this mentioned, I'll post it here. Rock on! Ha ,,,