1958 or So
It was just Billie and Frank and Mal Waldron and me
at the Five Spot having cocktails together.
This was before Billie died and Frank wrote
his famous poem about her, before Frank
was killed on Fire Island and poems
were written about him, his improbable death,
not the kind that took Billie who knew she was living
on borrowed time like a ghost or a guest
in someone’s gilded mansion. But this was still
1958 or so & we were young and happy
& when Billie grabbed the mic the place lit up
and Frank, as usual, was taking notes
while Mal banged out the melody on the keys
and Billie—well, you know exactly what she was like.
© Marc Alan Di Martino
Marc Alan Di Martino
The Loch Raven Review 