The Poet

 

The poet’s hand flew down the page,
For now that he’d reached middle age,
Words came swiftly to this sage,
And earned for him a handsome wage.

Suddenly — as if in rage —
His muse flew from her gilded cage.
The poet feared his script for stage
Would never see the light of day.

Radio on his coffee table,
Played a mellow jazz label,
“Jazzman, jazzman, make me able,
To complete my naughty fable!”

Mister jazzman seemed to hear,
Likewise the audio engineer,
“Heart & Soul” in the poet’s ear,
Made his sweet muse reappear.

Hearing that old song so dear
Helped the poet persevere —
Or Ampersand, your presence near,
Is that what made his words adhere?

Ampersand or music label,
Something served as jumper cable,
For now under garret gable,
Tonys on his coffee table.

 

“The Poet” ©2017 Nancy Upper

Jazz ampersand designed in 1992 by Alan Meeks

In 1992, British designer Alan Meeks designed Jazz for the Linotype company. The Linotype website says that “Jazz … brilliantly captures the sophisticated elegance of the 1920s and 30s. The bold roman style is enhanced with an interior design almost like a piano keyboard or the lit windows of a skyscraper.”  https://www.linotype.com/1079/jazz.html

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