sweet

smooth :

mellow

sAxophone rIses

above to float along

an early autumn breeze :

finds me

.takes me

- clear -

across the park.

Something sings along below :

twanging just outside my reach.

A sound that envelopes me :

plucks my strings :

begins a pounding in my chest.

PoP!

I HOP up :

absentminded.two.fingerhold

on The Great Gatsby.

I have no say.

my feet.they lead the way -

i am not i am

my Self's someone else's

.tantalized.taken.

KORA KORNER

i'd like to converse with you

but i'm just...stupid

A corner where

I've never stood

- first impressions -

a musical triptych

eye is immediately

drawn

to the central figure

beautiful ebony man

with a mass of dreaded hair

accented at points

with metal beads

playing an instrument

I've never seen

the base.a rOUnd.gourd.

.broken.there's a hole

metal crowns jingle.jangle

atop the long thin neck.

'round which is strung

two rows of many strings

playing them all

with beautiful fluency.confidence

long.strong fingers

certain.sure

.eye lingers.

.those must be

magical fingers.

- ONE DAY -

I sit near them

kora.drum&bass

off to the side.

I scrunch in small

- inconspicuous -

I try to hide

but not for long.

I can't contain my glee.

I beam&bask

shamelessly.wiggle

into his sacred song.

my SOUL escapes

my every pore.

HE feels me

turns&

- SEES -

smiles&

approaches

wagging head.

shaking dreads

plays directly at me.

I look down the barrel

of the gourd.

in the same thought :

.how phallic.

.not broken.

( the hole )

Africa.

.now i see.

Open

- me -

w i d e

his music

pours insIde.

I have to cross legs.

clasp palms

to keep from bursting uP.

but wiggle.wiggle anyway

into each space he makes.

this man approaches.

latin dancing -

left hand to heart

right out.extended

he swings

hispanic.hips

two.steps

sure.footed feet.

Thank you.Thank you

to the street musicians

as he drops his dollar in

with flair.flourish.he is

Fred Astaire.

I want to leave him

more than just a dolla

zip!I open pack.extract

my PostIt pad and pen

look up at him.

consider :

- thank you -

for your song.

next time

i will be brave

enough

to dAnce -

Fedora hatted.

button downed

black.tie

sAx.man croons

the sultry melody

beside his wife&child

- a perfect babe -

.perched high.wide eyed.

on mother's knee.

Mother taps foot

.in time.

bouncing baby gently.

Babe rides leg

.full straddle.

.in awe.

.the wORld around.

On kora player's other side

sits bespectacled man

gawky.thin.blonde

works.hard to keep

the beat of the rhythm

of the street

on a red.green.yellow

drum

badabum.badabum.

.Digga.Digga.

dum.

dum

- ANOTHER DAY -

I hoped

I'd find you here.

HE smiles up

scoots over

- Sit -

pulls kora bag in.close

gestures to his side

.near.

I keep

your note

with me.

.to protect me -

one hand to heart.

he reaches uP

the other.

.uh.

I blush.

(flustered)

by the power

of attraction.

.no.no.

i only love

your song.

but my lips won't

make those shapes

& I stumble through

lame hey.theres.

.ahem.

I try to gain

control -

So do you

just play

in the park?

Have you

ever played

along the (L)?

No -

I play

(gestures)

here.

Where is

the (L) train?

Brooklyn.

I saw a video

on Youtube

of a kora&a cello.

Would you ever

be interested

in playing

with a cello?

.i know a guy.

Yea sure.

I don't know

anything

about Brooklyn.

You should

show me around

sometime.

.wait.no.

(tuck head into chest)

So where

are you from?

(deflecting.

detecting accent)

(puffing chest.proud)

West Africa -

but I grew up

in France.

I try to come here

once a year.

I'll be here for

another month.

He looks at me.appraising.

lips widen to a grin.

You're so

sexy.

(blush.deeper)

You're so

beautiful.

How about

you show me

around Brooklyn

tonight?

(speechless)

Embarrassed.

I can't transcend

the sex.language

barrier.

(to my right)

the broad.happy.faced

RETIREE in NYU attire

wide.toothy.grin

bike leaning at his side

taps his foot along

to the beat

of the song

boogie.

woogie

.oogie

s l i d e

he's lost control

of feet

they move alone

out of pure.need.

he shuffle.steps

suddenly breaks out

in song.

harmonizing joyously.

- LATER -

What do you think

I should do?

Should I

hang out

with him?

Be smart.

You know what

this is.

You know

what

you have to do.

I hang up cellphone

- exhale -

.okay.

Slide phone out

tap tips to board

- click.clack -

.click.clack.

i'm so sorry

i can't tonight

but i'll definitely come

to your show

.but actually.

- NO -

Baby,

come back -

says mother.soft. to

chubby.cherubim who

waddles into the circle

hands wide.fingers reaching

for the sound.

the sAx is grooving

soft&low

HE rests kora back

into open lap

smiles down at babe

stretches arms out

open.greeting palms.

MOTHER makes

- instinct -

protective

move

which proves unnecessary.

uninterested, cherub

just changes path

angles toward the drum

badabum.badabum.

badabum.

bum.

BUM

- pivots -

to the bike

.ding.ding.

RETIREE rings bell

.o well. his eyes alight

approaches.

RETIREE shuffle.steps.

flourish.back step.

shuffle left

dip bike right

his handy

Ginger Rogers.

- loosen up -

toes start tapping

.hokey.pokey.

- put them in -

cherub moves

to slip through cracks

at last MOTHER

(enter)

scoops up

her little one.

RETIREE

He's really

sweet -

but

I bet he's a

handful.

MOTHER

You have

no idea -

with adoration

in her eyes.

- A FEW DAYS LATER -

.bzz.

.bzz.

The phone vibrates

.beneath my head.

ignites:bedside.manner.

.now who?

I look to see

(swallow)

it's HE.

I feel a guilty rush.

.i'm sorry.

as I watch the call

.bzz.

away.

I make eye contact

with the other members

of this congregation.

.isn't this exciting?

.we're all here

to see it.

to be it.

.share in this

blessed

ENERGY.

sAx.man grooves above it all

for several solo.measures.

as the kora.player

talks the novice drummer

through a syncopated rhythm.

the drummer nods along

nervous.anxious

to keep up.

he's got.to be

- BRAVE -

if he's gonna

drive this

beat.

HE shows him

endless patience

speaks.deep.soft&

.calm.

RETIREE

Can you

believe

he just bought

that drum

today?

- ONE WEEK LATER -

.bzz.

The phone lights up.

urgent.charged vibrations

It's him.

Still don't know

what I'd say.

The safest way

to handle this -

turn head.

just look away.

HE sings over

their song.

words I cannot

distinguish/untangle

from the plucking

of the strings&

the beating of

the drum.

sounds soul.melody

above instrumentation.

his voice adds

a new

dimension.

I wiggle to adjust

.tap my foot.

release

- a phrase of praise -

O man.

HE hears

looks up at me&smiles

.purple.spotted bottom lip.

deep.deep.black eyes.

a glint.mischief.

a gleam.

I dream :

.what's in

his heart of darkness?

- TWO WEEKS LATER -

.bzz.

The scramble through

packed.pocket

- shit -

picks up

my cellphone.

Fumble.slip.click

(end) button.

.phew.

HE's on

the other end

- alone -

.i'm sorry.

.i'm sorry.

What was

that?

.embarrassed.

I explain the situation.

Shit.

What do you

have?

.what?

After the first

call,

I would

have given up.

.blushing.burning.

(small)

I don't know.

.song.savored

ripples.

Djembe player has to leave -

packs up to go away.

sAx.man & kora.player

exchange digits

intent to play again.

the crowd

(shuffling feet.

reluctant to go)

disperses.

the guy beside

leans down toward me -

hey, we're going

for a walk.

want to join?

.no i don't.i'm sorry.

I shake my head demurely.

I've only eyes for him

- his song that pierced my soul -

deep&rich desire

to know

what lights his fire

wander over.introduce self

he holds my hand

in one of his.

presses other to

his heart :

- Hello -

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