on the 17th of July 967 John Coltrane died and waking up to a lazy Sunday this morning, listening to Violets for Your Furs, I wonder if his last thought was a hum…
this poem runs through my head often, and my tongue enjoys the assonance…so listen, listen to the Coltrane roll…
In Memoriam John Coltrane
Listen to the coal
rolling, rolling through the cold
steady rain, wheel on
wheel, listen to the
turning of the wheels this night
black as coal dust, steel
on steel, listen to
these cars carry coal, listen
to the coal train roll.
-Michael Stillman (1972)
wanderings + wonderings 