Shades of Blue for a Blue Bridge

for Mildred Howard, Joe Rudolph & Yori Wada

1.
three shades of blue
evoke minnie's can do,
soo chow's, yori wada

2.
jimbo's bop city,
john lee's boom boom room,
history riffing vlue matzoh balls,
fried chicken, soba

3.
the jigoku club inside
j town, bold rebels jamming
cross from black town, udon,
grits, barbecue

4.
cherry blossoms vlooming
in lady day's hair, greens & fat back,
sashimi staining kimonos

5.
you walking filmore,
crossing geary with duke,
street cars running over ghost-tracks,
pigfeet in vinegar

6.
indigo-blue & white,
red satin, sticky fingers handling
chops sticks, hot cornbread,
sweet potato pie

7.
memories brought back
in a blue mirror, gefilte fish,
kimochi, lox & bagels

8.
filmore auditorium
jamming beneath miles of blue,
bird, mink, nihomachi.
a fake dividing line

9.
mixing it all up
this cultural jambalaya stew,
kabuki, white linen,
silk, coltrane

10.
music the glue singing
new images of multi-you
rapping in the sweet blue air