Electric Church Music
(after Jimi Hendrix)

Lay me on the altar. The crick, crack snap
of the wood under my back moves me. I dance
the memories of Bojangles and Little Black
Sambo – pie eyed, dough faced and sassafras sweet.
I wanna write the rhythms. I wanna know my song.
I gotta tell myself that the words aren’t perfect at first stab.
Sometimes the music in my head can’t fit inside the pen.
Sometimes the beat inside my fingers can’t tap
the ink in fast enough and I pray I can slide down
the shaft, channel the dusk of my life into drums and get free.