Quincy Troupe

Song

words & sounds that build bridges toward a new tongue
within the vortex of cadences, magic weaves there
a mystery, syncopating music rising from breath of the young,

the syllables spraying forward like some cloud or mist hung
around the day, evening, under streetlamps, yeasting air, where
words & sounds that build bridges toward a new tongue

gather, lace the language like fireflies stitching the night's lungs,
rhythms of new speech reinventing themselves with a flair,
a mystery, syncopating music, rising from breath of the young,

where the need for invention at the tongue's edge, high-strung,
at the edge of the cliff, becomes a risk-taking poet who shares
words & sounds that build bridges toward a new tongue,

full of wind & sun, breath feeds poetry from art's aqualungs,
under a blue sea that is sky, language threads itself through air
a mystery, syncopating music, rising from breath of the young,

is a solo snatched from the throat of pure utterance, sung,
or wordsmiths blues-ing cadences, weaving lines into prayers,
words & sounds that build bridges toward a new tongue
a mystery, syncopating music, rising from breath of the young

 

CAN YOU CHAIN YOUR VOICE TO A RIVER?

woke up one morning, found myself stepping through a dream,
say eye woke up one morning, found myself singing in a dream,
eye was on a road long & narrow, the wind was imitating a scream,
the road eye was on was long & narrow, the wind a substitute for a scream,
so eye kept right on walking, hoping the scream would end,
say eye kept right on stepping, hoping that dream would surely end

in the middle of that dream found myself by a long snaking river,
say in the middle of that screaming dream found myself by a long snaking river,
say that river was sky-deep, moonrays dancing off its back like slivers of silver
that's when eye ask myself a question, a cool wind making me shiver like liver.
say eye ask myself a question, cool wind making me quiver & shiver like liver

said, "can you chain your voice to a river, swim it to wherever it ends?"
said, "can you chain your voice to a river, swim it to wherever it ends?"
rivers carry their own rhythm, carry their own deadly sins,
say rivers are their own rhythm, are their own deadly sins,
blue skies & storm clouds be hats eye wear, wear till the bitter end,
say blue skies & black clouds be hats eye wear, wear till the wailing end

then eye was walking land by the river, caught up in a surrealist dream,
say eye was walking land beside that river, inside a surrealist dream,
when all of a sudden a cloud hung down, spoke to me in the voice of a poet,
say a dark funnel cloud hung down, spoke to me in the language of a poet,
at first eye heard the voice of Moses, then eye heard God up in that wind,
say first eye thought it was Moses, then eye heard God up in that wind

"go downriver," the Voice in the wind said, "go down it to the very end,
eye say take a boat & go downriver, sail it long to the very end,
listen to a broken man singing from a treetop, listen to his ancient sins,
say listen to a poor man moaning on a tree branch, singing about ancient sins,
that old man was once a great singer, ain't heard him since way back when,
that man used to be a great poet, ain't seen him since way back when

now he weak as a puff of smoke, caught up in a tornado's wind,
say he weak as a wisp of smoke, caught in a tornado's wind,
long ago he was handsome & proud, voice stronger than most men eye knew,
say he was handsome, proud long ago, voice better than most men eye knew,
then hard times came on him like he a vampire caught out in daylight-wind,
say bad times caught him like he a vampire locked outside in sunlight, wind
so he ran away, went underground, found himself in that old gnarled tree
say he ran away, went underground, found himself stuck in a gnarled old tree,
now he need to be talked down out those leafless branches, so he can sing again
say he need to be talked down out those skeletal branches, so he can sing again
need someone show him the light, convince him there's a better road,
say he need someone to be his friend, show him there's a much better road,
it's you my friend can show him that light, help him drop his heavy load,
say it's you my friend can show him light, help him drop his heavy load

so go downriver & find him my son, tell him he can swim & sing again
say go downriver, find him my son, tell him we need him to swim & sing, again
but the only reward eye can promise you will be a song you hear up in the wind,
say the only thing eye can give you will be a song you'ill hear up in the wind,
a song you keep locked in your heart, make you feel good whenever you hear it,
a song you keep locked in your heart, make you feel good each time you hear it,
so go on downriver, find that man, listen for the song up in the wind,
say go on downriver, find that man, listen for that song up in the wind,
when you find him my son you'ill hear yourself singing a sweeter song,
say when you find him my son you'ill find yourself singing a more lyrical song"

after getting over shock of hearing that voice eye get in a canoe, go downriver,
say after getting over shock, hearing that voice eye get in a canoe, go downriver,
my life spared by luck & chance eye paddle to a poor man up in a treetop,
bad luck with him to the bitter end,
say my life spared by luck & chance on the river, eye paddle to a man in a treetop,
& him drinking bad luck to the very end,
so eye ask him; "can you make your voice a river, swim it wherever it goes?"
said, "can you turn your voice into a river, ride it to wherever it goes?
rivers carry their own rhythm brother, take you, maybe, to a better close?"
said, "rivers carry their own rhythm brother, might ride you to a better close"
he look at me, then he sang this song, "river, river, take my dreams,
carry them through my poems to sing, river, river, carry my dreams,
teach them how to swim & sing,"
sang, "let me chain my voice to you river, swim your currents to the very end,
eye say let me chain my song to you river, swim your rapids to the very end,
let me see bright day breaking through rain clouds, listen to sweet birds sing,
say let me see bright day breaking through rain clouds, hear sweet birds sing,
& sing to the bitter, bitter end

Lawd, Lawd, thank you Lawd, for letting me sing a sweet, sweet song again
Lawd, Lawd, thank you Lawd, for letting me sing a sweet, sweet song again

let me be a fish, now in your river, swimming downstream all day long,
say let me be a fish in your river Lawd, swimming downstream all day long
thank you Lawd for bringing this boy to help me get down out of this tree,
eye say thank you Lawd for bringing this boy to help me get down out this tree
my blues done taught me how to sing brand new & swim in the river, long,
say these blues done taught me to sing brand new, swim in the river, long, long
Lawd thank you Lawd, for letting me swim in this river, sing a new sweet song,
Lawd, Lawd thank you for letting me swim your river, sing a new, sweet song,
gonna pick up my old guitar today, & sing & just play along,
yes, gonna pick up my old guitar today, & sing & just play along
'cause eye chained my voice to Your river, learned to sing & swim, again
say eye chained my voice Your river, Lawd, learned to swim & sing again,
yesterday was a bitter, cold memory, but today a brighter & sweeter day.
say yesterday was a bitter, cold memory, but today is a bright, sunny day.

eye'm gonna swim my voice down this river, singing to wherever it ends,
say, gonna chain my voice to this river, Lawd, swim it to wherever it ends,
'cause eye'm a fish now in Your river, swimming downstream all day long
say eye'm a fish now in Your river, Lawd, swimming & singing all day long
my voice done took to water now like rain drops falling out of black clouds,
say my voice done took to water, like rain drops falling out storm clouds

so eye thank you my friend for help getting me out of that treetop,
now listen for my song up in the wind
say thank you my friend for talking me down out of that old treetop,
listen for my song whistling high up in the wind,
blue sky the hat eye wear now, cocked ace-duce to the singing end,
say blue sky the hat eye wear now, cocked ace-duce to the wailing end
so thank you great Lawd for letting me grow these fins & wings,
say thank you great Lawd for letting me grow these fins & wings,
& thank you friend, for helping me be myself again,
say thank you friend for bringing me Spirit, so eye an sing, again"
then he jumped into the river, began to sing & swim downriver,
say he jumped into the river, began to sing & swim downriver
eye jumped in my canoe, began to paddle upriver, going the opposite way,
say eye jumped in my canoe, began paddling upriver, in the opposite way,
while going upriver eye hear a voice singing beautiful up in the wind,
say as eye was on my way back upriver hear a sweet voice up in the wind

& eye knew it was the song the great Spirit told me eye would hear,
say eye knew it was the song the great Spirit said eye would surely hear,
so eye said;

"thank you great Lawd, for letting me walk around with this song
locked in my heart,
say thank you 0 Lawd for helping me walk around with a poem
locked in my heart,
that voice will be in the poems eye write & hear every day
& eye hear it strong,

say that song will be the cadence of poems eye write & hear every day
& eye hear it real strong

thank you Lawd for giving me the gift to write these poems
eye say thank you Lawd for giving me the gift to write these poems
for chaining my voice to a river of syllables, giving me fins and wings
for chaining my voice to a river of syllables, giving me fins and wings

thank you great Lawd, for these syllables and poems
thank you great Lawd, for these syllables and poems

eye'm gonna swim in the river of this language with my fins and wings
& eye'm gonna swim all day long.
say eye'm gonna swim in the currents of language, with my fins and wings
& eye'm gonna swim all night long.

thank you, great Lawd, thank you
thank you great Spirit, thank you

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© 1999-2004 by Quincy Troupe

Web Author: Joseph D. McNair Copyright ©2004 by Joseph D. McNair - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED