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CHROMATIC HARMONIES

By Linda Eve Diamond

Dark night, cool clouds,

jazz band slowly warming up.

 

We don’t expect much—

then light jazz takes a turn

 

turning on the jazz lights

rising up, taking shape

 

as a soothing tonic key opens up

the bridge between sound and sight

 

with bright chromatic harmonies

filled with prismatic possibilities

 

arrangements rearranging

variations taking flight

 

inversions inspiring a sense

of harmonically lit synesthesia

 

chords ascending and turning to gold 

notes twinkling like a string of bulbs

 

all the winds swirling blues into spirals

piano notes scrolling a rolling cloud

 

the drums beating a lively pulse

emoting floating images to life

 

while faint visions of musicians

side-slip into softly lit silhouettes

 

aglow and nearly afloat with the notes

as if striking such a chord they blend

 

and transcend appearing as if they 

were composed by the music.

 

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Chromatic Harmonies was honored with a 2022 Artists Embassy International Dancing Poetry Award and read at the 29th Annual Dancing Poetry Festival, which was presented online. Find the festival at Youtube and the link to the Chromatic Harmonies reading here.  

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Chromatic Harmonies was first published as part of a creative pairing through The Light Ekphrastic journal. While this poem was being written, in response to a poem by Joann Field, she was creating a photo in response to another poem of mine.

Find our collaborative page at The Light Ekphrastic -  Field & Diamond.

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