The Ghostly Music in the Wind
Driving up the overpass The CD player
cheered with Louie Playing
When the Saints Come Marching In .
The decline on the other side
provided a restful rendition of
Glen Miller with Sleepy Lagoon.
It was if I were being photographed
for a movie and the music
part of a sound track was ringing in my ears.
Daytime nightmare for decades
of a terrible deadly auto crash where I exit life
with the radio still playing jazz.
Now the music is here, loud and as clear
as if those long gone musicians
were right in the back seat.
But the band stands at Elich’s garden
are empty of Les Brown
and his Band Of Renown.
There is no swing and sway
with Sammy Kay at
at Lakeside.
The grips and sound recorders
are not there
nor the airmen from Lowry Air force base.
Gone are the few white- capped sailors
who proved that the navy could
jitterbug better than the blue yonder boys.
The jukeboxes no longer
have the Hit Parade choices
for a nickel a play.
The old 78s too scratched
to be more than skeet targets
for unappreciative kids.
All this filed away in the dead files
of the historical past
under the heading of fond memories.
All long gone and near forgotten
yet Les and Sammy play on
as ghosts in the wind
Doug Minnis
April 2014