Poetry by Jack Foley and Adelle Foley
Jack and Adelle Foley have been performing their poetry as duets and solo for more than two decades. They have performed throughout the U.S. as well as in France and Syria. Jack is a widely published poet, critic, and songwriter. His books include Adrift, Exiles and O Powerful Western Star: Poetry & Art In California and are available from Small Press Distribution. He has won numerous awards for his work. He also hosts a weekly radio show, Cover To Cover, at KPFA in Berkeley (available as a podcast via KPFA.org ). Their latest collaborative book Fennel In The Rain is available from Small Change Series / Word Temple Press. Jack's most recent book, The Dancer and the Dance: A Book of Distinctions, a collection of essays, is available from Red Hen Press. Adelle's Along the Bloodline, a collection of innovative haiku, was published by Pantograph Press and is available from Small Press Distribution.by Jack Foley
previously published in The Tower Journal
The thin, white
The thin, white
man dances
man dances
in a whirl
in a whirl
of taps that sound
of taps that sound
like “rat a tat”
like “rat a tat”
and “run around”
and “run around”
and “rattle rattle rattle”
and “rattle rattle rattle”
and he wears
and he wears
the elegance of evening
the elegance of evening
as his thin, white
as his thin, white
hands extend and flutter
hands extend and flutter
and he catches
and he catches
at a whirling cane
at a whirling cane
and twirls it
and twirls it
and shoots
and shoots
the troop of men who come
the troop of men who come
dancing
and they fall (what dancers fear!)
and they fall (what dancers fear!)
as this man who wears the symbol of the rich
whirls away erect
whirls away erect
and dancing
DUET
rat a tat rat a tat
rat a tat rat a tat
rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
roodle de do roodle de do
roodle de do roodle de do
whiff bam roodle de do rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
whiff bam roodle de do rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
rat a tat rat a tat
rat a tat rat a tat
biddle biddle biddle biddle
biddle biddle biddle biddle
biddle de do biddle de do hohdy hohdy hohdy rrrrrrr
biddle de do biddle de do hohdy hohdy hohdy rrrrrrr
wham!
wham!
with a quick with a quack
with a quick with a quack
rat a tat rat a tat
rat a tat rat a tat
roodle de do roodle de do
roodle de do roodle de do
roodeldy roodledy roodledy roodledy
roodeldy roodledy roodledy roodledy
roodeldy roodledy roodledy roodledy
roodeldy roodledy roodledy roodledy
rat a tat rat a tat
rat a tat rat a tat
roodle de do roodle de do
roodle de do roodle de do
take a LOOK take a LOOK rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
take a LOOK take a LOOK rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
take another kind of look
take another kind of look
take a look take a rat
take a look take a rat
take a riddle raddle rat
take a riddle raddle rat
take a look take a cat
take a look take a cat
take a reel make a take
take a reel make a take
take a tale make a rattle
take a tale make a rattle
take another kind of look!
take another kind of look!
hominy hominy hominy
hominy hominy hominy
rat a tat rat a tat
rat a tat rat a tat
roodle de do roodle de do
roodle de do roodle de do
rat a tat rat a tat
rat a tat rat a tat
roodle de do
roodle de do
do
do
do
do
rrr
rrr
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
R.I.P. CHAUNCEY BAILEY
murdered on the streets of Oakland 8/2/07
by Adelle Foley
The thin, white
man dances
man dances
in a whirl
in a whirl
of taps that sound
of taps that sound
like “rat a tat”
like “rat a tat”
and “run around”
and “run around”
and “rattle rattle rattle”
and “rattle rattle rattle”
and he wears
and he wears
the elegance of evening
the elegance of evening
as his thin, white
as his thin, white
hands extend and flutter
hands extend and flutter
and he catches
and he catches
at a whirling cane
at a whirling cane
and twirls it
and twirls it
and shoots
and shoots
the troop of men who come
the troop of men who come
dancing
and they fall (what dancers fear!)
and they fall (what dancers fear!)
as this man who wears the symbol of the rich
whirls away erect
whirls away erect
and dancing
DUET
rat a tat rat a tat
rat a tat rat a tat
rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
roodle de do roodle de do
roodle de do roodle de do
whiff bam roodle de do rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
whiff bam roodle de do rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
rat a tat rat a tat
rat a tat rat a tat
biddle biddle biddle biddle
biddle biddle biddle biddle
biddle de do biddle de do hohdy hohdy hohdy rrrrrrr
biddle de do biddle de do hohdy hohdy hohdy rrrrrrr
wham!
wham!
with a quick with a quack
with a quick with a quack
rat a tat rat a tat
rat a tat rat a tat
roodle de do roodle de do
roodle de do roodle de do
roodeldy roodledy roodledy roodledy
roodeldy roodledy roodledy roodledy
roodeldy roodledy roodledy roodledy
roodeldy roodledy roodledy roodledy
rat a tat rat a tat
rat a tat rat a tat
roodle de do roodle de do
roodle de do roodle de do
take a LOOK take a LOOK rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
take a LOOK take a LOOK rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
take another kind of look
take another kind of look
take a look take a rat
take a look take a rat
take a riddle raddle rat
take a riddle raddle rat
take a look take a cat
take a look take a cat
take a reel make a take
take a reel make a take
take a tale make a rattle
take a tale make a rattle
take another kind of look!
take another kind of look!
hominy hominy hominy
hominy hominy hominy
rat a tat rat a tat
rat a tat rat a tat
roodle de do roodle de do
roodle de do roodle de do
rat a tat rat a tat
rat a tat rat a tat
roodle de do
roodle de do
do
do
do
do
rrr
rrr
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
R.I.P. CHAUNCEY BAILEY
murdered on the streets of Oakland 8/2/07
by Adelle Foley
To hear and download a performance of this piece click here.
Had to cross the street
To avoid the police cars
On my way to work
Behind yellow tape
He lay under a white tarp
His feet sticking out
Leaning on a car
An officer interviewed
An old Asian man
“Did you see someone
Approach the victim and shoot?
Which way did he run?”
I pass this corner
On my way from the BART train
Almost every day
A nice neighborhood
Friendly senior citizens
No sign of danger
Suddenly, scary
Downtown—and in broad daylight
Murderers live here
The next day, a shrine
Teddy bear, candles, flowers
“You are in our hearts”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ascenseur pour l’échafaud/Elevator to the Gallows
for Robin A. Nicholas
by Jack Foley
Had to cross the street
To avoid the police cars
On my way to work
Behind yellow tape
He lay under a white tarp
His feet sticking out
Leaning on a car
An officer interviewed
An old Asian man
“Did you see someone
Approach the victim and shoot?
Which way did he run?”
I pass this corner
On my way from the BART train
Almost every day
A nice neighborhood
Friendly senior citizens
No sign of danger
Suddenly, scary
Downtown—and in broad daylight
Murderers live here
The next day, a shrine
Teddy bear, candles, flowers
“You are in our hearts”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ascenseur pour l’échafaud/Elevator to the Gallows
for Robin A. Nicholas
by Jack Foley
To hear and download a performance of this piece click here.
who writes
who writes
of the sadness of lovers
of the sadness of lovers
of their
of their
loneliness when apart
loneliness when apart
Jeanne Moreau
Jeanne Moreau
in this magnificent film
in this magnificent film
wanders the night
wanders the night
streets of Paris
streets of Paris
finding
finding
nothing
nothing
her love is sincere
her love is sincere
but her punishment
but her punishment
later
later
is worse than her
is worse than her
lover’s
lover’s
Miles Davis
Miles Davis
watched the film
watched the film
with those deep deep eyes
with those deep deep eyes
and named
and named
the nothing
the nothing
she felt
she felt
as he leapt
as he leapt
beyond
beyond
the frenzy of bebop
to the pure
to the pure
sound
sound
of the heart of the world
of the heart of the world
in a woman’s
in a woman’s
longing
(longing)
who writes
who writes
of the sadness of lovers
of the sadness of lovers
of their
of their
loneliness when apart
loneliness when apart
Jeanne Moreau
Jeanne Moreau
in this magnificent film
in this magnificent film
wanders the night
wanders the night
streets of Paris
streets of Paris
finding
finding
nothing
nothing
her love is sincere
her love is sincere
but her punishment
but her punishment
later
later
is worse than her
is worse than her
lover’s
lover’s
Miles Davis
Miles Davis
watched the film
watched the film
with those deep deep eyes
with those deep deep eyes
and named
and named
the nothing
the nothing
she felt
she felt
as he leapt
as he leapt
beyond
beyond
the frenzy of bebop
to the pure
to the pure
sound
sound
of the heart of the world
of the heart of the world
in a woman’s
in a woman’s
longing
(longing)
Labels: dance, film, Fred Astaire, haiku, jazz, Jeanne Moreau, Louis Malle, Miles Davis, music, poetry, spoken word
posted by Jake Berry at 1:55 PM
1 Comments:
the dancer and his moves are like water lilly, surviving in water, dancing on the wave, its life suspended in silence only to be disturbed violently but smoothly but its roots reaching out like numbered feet for a floor.
- Chris Mansel
Jack and Adelle are treasures fir generations to share. Privileged as I have been to see them perform in person their words become sparklers in the damcer's hands as his feet swirl about the floor. The music of Cole Porter and George Gershwin combining to echo a tremendous sound.
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