Upstairs the naked ladies dance

Downstairs in a ill-lit room a tiny man
sits on a wooden chair and rubs his hands
together with a wicked grin then
scribbling in the ship’s manifest
“manifest – to reveal one’s presence”,
like an unwanted guest, not ghost
manifest, oh, manifest
your music with your words be dressed
manifest, oh, manifest
abradabra ullulates, magic
and hey presto,
from this jumble of silly sounds
bring forth [...]

Live!

Lock the doors! These here fools is fools enough for any ship.
Sheath the mainsail and prophylactilise
any possible recipient of
random contagion.

Uncertain Time.

Some fluid jazz drifts out to the balcony
where he puts his arm around me
these is uncertain times, boy,
so we’ll revert to fundamental principles
and trust our instincts and he squeezes me
and breathes
you just sit there and play
as though in some performance of art
tatum if you can haha
I’ll go find a drummer she laughs
F., leave the pianoplayer [...]