Firespitter: The Collected Poems of Jayne Cortez (Nightboat, 2025).
The Poetry Project presents an evening celebrating the publication. (Livestream)
Talked bopology talk
Laughed in high-pitched saxophone phrases
Became keeper of every Bird riff
every Lester lick
as Hawk melodicized my ear of infatuated tongues
& Blakey drummed militant messages in
soul of my applauding teeth
& Ray hit bass notes to the last love seat in my bones
Jazz Fan Looks Back, Jayne Cortez
Why do people always choose saturdays
to wig out
I mean the ones who scream leave me alone
i hate your guts
why do they always choose 2:05 pm saturdays
to say get the hell outa here
I mean the ones kicking walls
slamming doors
crushing skulls
why do they always have to choose saturdays for
me to lift my window and yell
shut the fuck up
Saturdays, Jayne Cortez
