MARIANNE

Originally written and posted – 21.01.2012 ~ This was written in appreciation of poetry by Langston Hughes – the ‘Jazz’ poet

Re-posted- 21.12.2019 as part of an Edenbray Retrospective 

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Marianne

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Marianne was an ordinary girl

born in an ordinary town and

she wore a flower-print dress

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Her brother Cane stole her honour

when she was still seventeen

and Marianne she did not cry

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Only promised that one day

while he weren’t looking

that he would certainly die

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Marianne skipped, not walked

when no one else was looking and

helped her mother with the cooking

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She had no friends apart from Tye

and tho’ that girls eyes filled up

she never had learned to cry

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She walked at night through

the lonesome Blacktown Wood

and talked her heart to Jesus

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She managed not to listen too

while them dumb river-boys

nagged with ribbons of abuse

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She dreamed of living with her sisters

near the ‘trotting’ racetrack

on the high road out of Syracuse

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Her father had bought her home

a pair of grey-blue sneakers

and she wore them till they tore

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She lay that night so hurt

on her palette bed watching stars

and realising why she swore

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Walking to work in the fall

it was her very first day

all she could do was smile

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She walked the long route

through Bennis-field cemetery

so she could feed them ponies

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‘Six-bits’ and one quarter

would give her a dollar each day

that she worked in tha’ fac-tor-ee

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Marianne so plain, so pretty

She kept her vermillion smile

from six in the morning till four

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When she heard the tale

of her brothers tragic death

she just sat and made her face

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writtenbyedenbray21.01.2012

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This poem is a dual-tribute to Langston Hughes, who wrote such great word combinations. Langston  was known as the jazz -poet and I have included here two pieces by the great man himself alongside my piece and some Articles and other random stuff and pictures – reflecting on this great and largely unrecognised writer that I have linked/lifted from Wikepedia the Free encyclopedia – which I subscribe to and support. I hope you enjoy these thoughts and writings and the idea behind them. – eb. 

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Six-Bits Blues

by Langston Hughes

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Gimme six-bits’ worth o’ ticket
On a train that runs somewhere.
I say six-bits’ worth o’ ticket
On a train that runs somewhere.
I don’t care where it’s goin’
Just so it goes away from here. 

Baby, gimme a little lovin’
But don’t make it too long.
A little lovin’, babe, but
Don’t make it too long.
Make it short and sweet, your lovin’,
So I can roll along.

I got to roll along!

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The Negro Artist and The Racial Mountain

by Langston Hughes

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The younger Negro artists who create now intend to express
our individual dark-skinned selves without fear or shame.
If white people are pleased we are glad. If they are not,
it doesn’t matter. We know we are beautiful. And ugly, too.
The tom-tom cries, and the tom-tom laughs. If colored people
are pleased we are glad. If they are not, their displeasure
doesn’t matter either. We build our temples for tomorrow,
strong as we know how, and we stand on top of the mountain
free within ourselves.

The night is beautiful,
So the faces of my people.

The stars are beautiful,
So the eyes of my people

Beautiful, also, is the sun.
Beautiful, also, are the souls of my people.

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Three further links to Wikipedia Articles  >>>

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Langston Hughes and ‘jazz poetry’ ~ Wikipedia the Free Encyclopedia

Vermillion or Vermilion as listed on Wikipedia

‘Six-bits blues’

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Original comment by Edenbray :    I tried to write this piece – clipped and plain – in a kind of staccato rhythm  –  just like jazz … this, after all is a sort of tribute to Langston Hughes who they give ‘jazz poetry’ to  …  but as with all good jazz – John Coltrane – Miles Davis – etc -etc  Jazz – it may rhyme and fall …  it may not … it can improvise … it can divert … tangent … it’s just an idea … a little random but it has a classic trail … I’m obsessed with traditional America … but there’s some Britain in it too – its kind of mixed! … #jazz

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Transcript from Jerry Maguire – the movie …

EX. Transcript Jerry Maguire

 EXT. PORCH -- NIGHT                Jerry on the porch, as Chad exits.  Chad now fully plays the
              part of friend with seniority.  Looks the taller Jerry up and
              down.
  CHAD                         Treat her right, man.  She's...

 93.    JERRY                                (self-conscious)
                        Yeah... well...
  CHAD                         She's great.  And I know this is
                        a little awkward, but I want you
                        to use this.
               Chad ruumages in bag for a moment.  Jerry is somewhat
              horrified at what Chad might be giving him.  Out comes a
              cassette tape.
  CHAD                                (continuing; intense)
                        This... is Miles Davis and John
                        Coltrane. Stockholm.  1963... two
                        masters of freedom, playing in a
                        time before their art was
                        corrupted by a zillion cocktail
                        lounge performers who destroyed
                        the legacy of the only American
                        artform -- JAZZ.
               Jerry takes the tape, as the front door squeaks open.
              Dorothy shoos Chad away, quietly leads Jerry inside.

Miles Davis

John Coltrane