Jazz's Songbird

 Collage by Margaret Bednar (click on image to enlarge)

Josephine Baker

Saint or sinner, confetti or cinders,

let the stars assay a force

so full of cadence and pitch.

Harlem's little runaway,

a cicada, she rose.  Became -

Paris's precious black pearl.

Of diamond collared cheetah,

gold piano, Antoinette's bed,

sprung society's smokey voiced nightbird

of seduction and farce.

Vienna's bells decried belly dancer 

of bumps and grinds, beaded breasts

banana hips; "Beware, La Josephine!".

Open armed lover, masquerading spy,

flawed Madonna; mother of a rainbow tribe.

Salt and pepper her vibe.

A phoenix, feathers fanned above smoke 

of segregation and hate,

America's watchlist.  Became -

France's superstar of smuggled messages,

embedded musical scores, and Charleston moves;

Bronze Venus of the Night.

by Margaret Bednar, February 1, 2023

"Shays Word Garden Word List - George Hitchcock" used 4 words: cicada, cinders, confetti, masquerading.   I rewrote this poem from last week.  The original is below.  Also, if you are interested in this amazing lady, see the links below.

This is linked with "Shay's Word Garden Word List - Janis Ian" use at least 3 of 20 words. 

I used 4:  nightbird, smoke, society, superstar.  it's a quick effort - i resorted to kind of a 'list" poem, but i wanted to play this week in Shay's Word Garden as i am so appreciative of her putting out this challenge.   I plan on rewriting this but i have the concept down.

HERE is a clip of the fabulous Josephine Baker!

HERE is an interview with one of her adoptive children.

original effort - rough draft:

Saint or sinner, 

impossible to say,

a life so full of cadence and pitch,

"inferior' taught, civil rights fought.

Harlem's little runaway, 

Paris's black pearl,

smokey voiced nightbird,

open arms of lover and spy.

Charleston's belly dancer

of bumps and grinds,

diamond collared cheetah and gold piano,

Marie Antoinette's bed.

Messages smuggled within musical scores,

invisible ink embedded,

America's watchlist

as segregation and hate she fled.

Society's prima donna

of banana hips and beaded breasts,

church bells warned, 'La Josephine"!

Mother of a rainbow tribe.

Unforgettable ebony beauty,

"salt and pepper",

highest military honors, a superstar

Bronze Venus of the night.