23 de maio de 2012

Mexico City Blues



Charley Parker, who recently died
Laughing at a juggler on the TV
after weeks of strain and sickness,
was called the Perfect Musician.
And his expression on his face
Was as calm, beautiful, and profound
As the image of the Buddha
Represented in the East, the lidded eyes,
The expression that says "All is well"
This was what Charley Parker
Said when he played, All is well.
You had the feeling of early-in-the-morning
Like a hermit’s joy, or like
the perfect cry
Of some wild gang at a jam session
"Wail, Wop" Charley burst
His lungs to reach the speed
Of what the speedsters wanted
Was his Eternal Slowdown.
A great musician and a great
creator of forms
That ultimately find expression
In mores and what have you.
Musically as important as Beethoven,
Yet not regarded as such at all,
A genteel conductor of string
orchestras
In front of which he stood,
Proud and calm, like a leader
of music
In the Great Historic World Night,
And wailed his little saxophone,
The alto, with piercing clear
lament
In perfect tune & shining harmony,
Toot as listeners reacted
Without showing it, and began talking
And everybody talking and Charley
Parker
Whistling them on to the brink of eternity
With his Irish St Patrick
patootle stick,
And like the holy piss we blop
And we plop in the waters of
slaughter
And white meat, and die
One after one, in time.
And how sweet a story it is
When you hear Charley Parker
tell it,
Either on records or at sessions,
Or at official bits in clubs,
Shots in the arm for the wallet,
Gleefully he Whistled the
perfect
horn
Anyhow, made no difference.
Charley Parker, forgive me
Forgive me for not answering your eyes
For not having made an indication
Of that which you can devise
Charley Parker, pray for me
Pray for me and everybody
In the Nirvanas of your brain
Where you hide, indulgent and huge,
No longer Charley Parker
But the secret unsayable name
That carries with it merit
Not to be measured from here
To up, down, east, or west—
--Charley Parker, lay the bane.
off me, and every body." (241).

Mexico City Blues – 242nd Chorus
Jack Kerouac



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