Sun Ra
By Jim Cory
"Man's true birthday is the day of his death."
—Sun Ra
this messenger in quicksilver cape
sneaks past speakerbanks the band in mid-tune
his carefully coiffed chinbeard dyed
the color of Walt Disney's socks
he slips behind keyboard & with fisted brow
lays down galactic sound semaphores
having briefly dismounted his personal comet
5000 solar revolutions in the making
to fuse hot brass blasts scintillating synthesizer
lines & Afro telegraph messages proving
the corniest Tin Pan ditty
an unswung symphony disguised
Copyright Credit: Jim Cory, "Sun-Ra" from the redheads. Copyright © 1997 by Jim Cory. Reprinted by permission of Literary Estate of Jim Cory.
Source: the redheads (INSIGHT TO RIOT Press, 1997)