Miles Showed Me His Trumpet
By Larry Jaffe
Miles Davis lived around the block from me
deep in the upper west side of Manhattan island.
He played like one man could be an island
living for his horn that paid his daily bread
living in this house made of gingerbread, on
West 77th Street while I lived on West 76th.
I would see him every now and again going
into that brownstone that his horn built.
— I got to meet Miles.
Walked round the block, walked round
the clock where Miles stood outside his
homestead just proud as peacock.
He told me how much he liked San Francisco women
because their bottoms were so round not flat
from riding subways all days, he said with smile.
Nudging me, guy hood joke “You know what I mean.”
We went inside past the New York façade
into his musical domain --
headquarters for lonely horn players.
The purity of Miles’ trumpet leans into me
he sings it blue. My eyes tear uncontrollably.
He has touched melodies that riff with magic,
I escape ego with this horn. It is evolution of life
in notes counterpoint. My fingers feel broken,
wanting to make the same sounds with words
— that staccato lip thing that merges horn with man.
— Miles showed me his trumpet
in this house of sugar coated dreams.
When I was a kid I dreamed of playing trumpet
but I wore braces on my teeth… they said I would
cut my lips to ribbons and bleed on my horn.
I looked up with tears and thought Miles,
Miles always bleeds on his horn
deep in the upper west side of Manhattan island.
He played like one man could be an island
living for his horn that paid his daily bread
living in this house made of gingerbread, on
West 77th Street while I lived on West 76th.
I would see him every now and again going
into that brownstone that his horn built.
— I got to meet Miles.
Walked round the block, walked round
the clock where Miles stood outside his
homestead just proud as peacock.
He told me how much he liked San Francisco women
because their bottoms were so round not flat
from riding subways all days, he said with smile.
Nudging me, guy hood joke “You know what I mean.”
We went inside past the New York façade
into his musical domain --
headquarters for lonely horn players.
The purity of Miles’ trumpet leans into me
he sings it blue. My eyes tear uncontrollably.
He has touched melodies that riff with magic,
I escape ego with this horn. It is evolution of life
in notes counterpoint. My fingers feel broken,
wanting to make the same sounds with words
— that staccato lip thing that merges horn with man.
— Miles showed me his trumpet
in this house of sugar coated dreams.
When I was a kid I dreamed of playing trumpet
but I wore braces on my teeth… they said I would
cut my lips to ribbons and bleed on my horn.
I looked up with tears and thought Miles,
Miles always bleeds on his horn
Analysis:
The reason I chose this poem is because I can relate to it. I know the struggle of having braces. Having to not eat certain things and not do certain things. He was so happy that even though it hurt Miles still did what he loved. I think the meaning of this poem is that just because you aren't supposed to do something, if you love it enough and have passion for it you will take the pain just like Miles did.
Some of the poetic devices this poem uses is allegory, allusion, diction, and caesura. This not the type of poem to rhyme. Allegory is used here in a way because it teaches a moral lesson that even though the Miles had braces he took the pain in playing the trumpet and bled through the horn instead of wanting to play the trumpet and not doing it like the speaker. The speaker wanted to play the trumpet as a child but couldn't because of his braces and then he figured out why Miles bled through his horn. The speaker uses caesura when the speaker pauses in the middle of the sentence when he figures out why Miles bled through his horn . The speaker uses wise choice of words and phrases in this poem when he describes the beauty of Miles playing the trumpet.
The reason I chose this poem is because I can relate to it. I know the struggle of having braces. Having to not eat certain things and not do certain things. He was so happy that even though it hurt Miles still did what he loved. I think the meaning of this poem is that just because you aren't supposed to do something, if you love it enough and have passion for it you will take the pain just like Miles did.
Some of the poetic devices this poem uses is allegory, allusion, diction, and caesura. This not the type of poem to rhyme. Allegory is used here in a way because it teaches a moral lesson that even though the Miles had braces he took the pain in playing the trumpet and bled through the horn instead of wanting to play the trumpet and not doing it like the speaker. The speaker wanted to play the trumpet as a child but couldn't because of his braces and then he figured out why Miles bled through his horn. The speaker uses caesura when the speaker pauses in the middle of the sentence when he figures out why Miles bled through his horn . The speaker uses wise choice of words and phrases in this poem when he describes the beauty of Miles playing the trumpet.