Ramsey Lewis
By Ben Macnair

 

Ramsey Lewis is playing The In crowd.
Just him, the simplest of tunes,
a well-recorded piano,
drums and bass.
Raising the Gospel of the fervent moment,
for an appreciative audience.
When the drums pick up the pace
at the two minute mark,
the audience whoops and shouts along.

Not for them complicated, finger-twisting chords,
a modulation when it is not needed,
solos that go on and on and on,
just a steady rising groove,
some open, accessible harmonies,
the message delivered, remembered,
forty years after it was first sent.

.

.

 

John Wayne

We'll say no to the Ferris Wheel,
we'll say no to the politics,
at least proper Clowns wear the makeup.
We'll say no to the sidewalks,
to the pants, and the faucets.
Nobody here wants to believe
John Wayne ever wore a corset.

We'll leave the roundabouts
slip-sliding away
we'll leave cheap solidarity
for another day,
and let things take their natural course.
Nobody here wants to believe
John Wayne never rode his horse.

We'll leave the Conspiracists
to their forums on the Net,
we'll leave the brain-washers
to their twisted little games.
Nobody here wants to believe
John Wayne was born with a Girl’s name.

.

Ben Macnair from UK lives in Staffordshire. He is a widely published, award-winning poet and playwright, with three produced plays to his name. He works in the Arts field.