1911: a year of golden shores.
Of brass futures, pomp
And heirloom circumstance.
The saxophone born to blow.
“In the Mood” and sassafras.
A plain instrument, at first,
Gleaming from a Georgia
Window. Its percussions
Waiting to be played.
In colored hands.
Jim Crow. Rag free.
First father, then son,
Then grandson, then great-grandson.
The museum of musical dreams
Beckons. Ol’ Rusty granted
An indelible spotlight,
A clarion call. A family tree
Extends its branches like
Musical notes reaching
For an infinite sky.
Grandfather’s gift.
Pads and spit.
Jazz writ large.
Love in the key of forever.
The genealogical vision.
Ol’ Rusty we bow to thee.

# # #

Kelvin C. Bias has self-published four poetry books: Whispers of A Dying Sun, Sexopolis, Immaculate Dust and 21 Particles of Eternity, which was released in October. In 2016, he released his first novel, Milkman. He has been a reporter at Sports Illustrated since 1995. The title poem of his debut collection first appeared in Spillway #25 in 2017. He received an M.F.A. in Screenwriting from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts in 2000.

Photo: Darrell Fraser