IN THE WORDS OF CHARLES MINGUS... POEM TO BIRD - CHARLES PARKER

In the words of Charles Mingus...
Poem to Bird - Charles Parker

"A feather drifts and falls
Drifts and falls as it is
Blown and carried
By the winds of over a billion
Years ago . . .
Frees itself
And drifts towards our earth
Its beauties of knowledge
Here
And of the past
Ring out
In melodic reveal
Tired
And weary of its long drifting travel
It lay down at our feet
To rest
Awhile
To rest
For peace has come
And set it free on its last
Final journey . . .
Careful as we go
Our ways
So as not to trample the feathers
Of the love
And
The knowledge
Left to us
Who
Have yet to journey
Far . . . "

By Charles Mingus

From the liner notes of Charles Mingus ‎– Town Hall Concert, 1964, Vol. 1
Photos by Bob Parent: Charlie Parker, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk and Roy Haynes at the Open Door on September 13, 1953

Can you spot Mingus’ bass scroll in the second picture?