Section 4: Keep It Playing

“Keep Playing Your Song” by Jermaine Cortez Woods Jr. A Response to Reuben, Reuben

Pain has replaced your presence

Soul filled with agony as I play your favorite song

Head nodding, babies crying

Don’t turn it off

Silence is like toothpicks to the heart

Keep it playing

Let the 808 thump to my heartbeat

Each hit is a memory of you

Keep it going

Lyrics and my soul harmonize in contradiction

If only you were here

But for now keep playing your song

Response to It Could Happen to You by Dhanika Therese Taruc

Response to Solitude, Billie Holiday by D’Anthony Hopkins

In the depths of solitude, you may feel lost, But remember that the stars shine brightest in the darkest of nights. You are not alone, for the universe sings your name, Whispering sweet nothings to your heart, igniting your flame

In the midst of solitude's dark embrace, It's easy to feel lost in a sea of empty space

But like a diamond buried deep in the earth, Your soul shines bright with immeasurable worth

Response to Nature Boy, Eden Ahbez by Logan Mulholland

Untitled

Unforgettable, Unforgettable, Unforgettable

The song, the life, the land

Belonging is a place to be Belonging is not just for me

Belonging sings a song just like you and me

On the land where we are free

Response to Strange Fruit by Vivian King

Response to Afro Blue, Mongo Santamaria by D’Anthony Hopkins

Beneath a sky of deepest blue, Rhythms pulse and beats renew, Melodies that weave and sway, Like leaves in wind, they dance and play.

From every note a story told, Of love, of life, of mysteries old, Echoes of voices, past and present, In harmony, their spirits ascent.

Response to My Way by

Nate Dampier

The song speaks of a life well-lived, Of taking chances and never giving in. Of standing tall and facing the fray, And living life just your own way.

The jazz beats and the trumpet's sound, Add to the song's beauty that's so profound. It's a timeless classic that we all know, And its message will continue to glow

So let's raise a glass and toast to life, To all its ups and downs, its joy and strife. And let this song be our guide each day, To live life to the fullest, our own way

Falling Like: poem to Charlie Parker by Tabitha Barowsky

A response to Almost Like Being in Love by Dionisio D Martinez

Sometimes, I still see the shadows

Loosly lingering, lost in my mind

On the walls and on the ceiling

Whispers of whatever come from within Winter clothes not worn all summer

All velvet and all blues

Tonight I am telling you, tonight I am showing you Everywhere, every time, everything Remember when it was always this good?

A response to “Chasing The Bird” by Robert

The sea strikes the site as evenly to The eye

The sea has more than one life

Slowly descending to the depths

You fall more in love with the view

Each day and night

The view of the sea can never Leave my site.

Creeley