Big deal, so she’s got a mouth harp
& can play blues song snatches
Between spoken poems, like she’s a woman of color,
30s’ musician (strummin’ & hummin’)
Away the live-long, shattered day.
How the academics lap up life-slices
Of her downhome, dirt-gritty recitals
Replete with giggles & gruff howling
To authenticate the veracity of her sound
Courtesy of some University of Blues.
Give me still the street originals
Like Lady Day & Bessie & Odetta anyday
Than the remastered voice of something
Akin to a lip-syncing cartoon character
Squealing over dead voices of a soul chorus.
