Black shadows
dance
on blank white walls
to music evicted
from concert halls
Black shadows
dance
on rainbows bleached
to singing arrested
from churches preached
Black shadows
dance
to blood drained rhyme
to choirs beheaded
by blank white minds
Black shadows
dance
Black shadows
dance
Black shadows
dance
on canvas
cold
Call me Hanq 
interesting man….the play of color in this…black against the white in stanza 1 and 3 and then the rainbow in the middle there…in another time i would have thought this def a social commentary piece…maybe even a bit now in the face of the trayvon martin incident
to blood drained rhyme
to choirs beheaded
by blank white minds
Standout lines in a sharply drawn poem; I have danced to music evicted from concert halls. Great word play!
Oh my, how I love this, Henry.
“to music evicted from concert halls”
“to choirs beheaded by blank white minds”
“on canvas cold” … Wow. I love the idea of the body as a canvas, even in death. That visual will haunt me, the demons coming to claim the lifeless. But it’s a beautiful horror you’ve painted.
Love both the form and sound…also love the “music evicted from concert halls” nice work…bkm
beautiful composition of this to the lead in image and the variation of layout – it takes the reader through the dance…beautifully penned my friend! Thank you for your kind comments and support of my words..always appreciate you! ❤ ~ Rose
Terse and compelling…I specially like the refraining words of black shadows dancing on canvas cold ~
Way to make the structure and word choice echo the meaning subtly back, henry, much like point and counterpoint, or the harmony of two instruments–not that I know anything about music, but I found this extremely adroit, and like brian, it seems to carry a softly presented but firm, even chilling social statement as well.
Very creative… I like it
to music evicted
from concert halls
I know a lot of this music–Very creative write!
A very evocative write, Henry. Nicely done.
Oh, how I’ve missed you, Henry… and what a bang you’re coming back with! I’m with Shawna and Anna- very striking images/word choice.
deep, it’s as if I entered into someones mind
dang..this starts so harmless…and then….Black shadows
dance
to blood drained rhyme
to choirs beheaded
by blank white minds… left me speechless..
An eloquent commentary on race relations, on cruelty… and I remember that, even before the LGBTQ community embraced the rainbow, Rev. Jesse Jackson had his Rainbow/Push Coalition. The best music our country has was invented by African-Americans. They only way they could make money was by recording for Eurocentric Whites on “race records.” Then came Elvis… oy. What a crappy history we have.
This poem sings a languid, jazzy, boppin’ tune and I love it, love it. Amy
Some music for you, with a poem: http://sharplittlepencil.com/2012/03/20/chanteuse-deluxe-a-barlette-long-form/
the first line is best…:)
Oh I love the shadow play in your layout – so atmospheric – sent a shiver up my spine – thank you for the experience 🙂
Intriguing and original. I love the layout and the brilliant economy of language. Great job!
Henry…your presentation and playful approach only make the impact of the write that much more felt. So you…but at the same time, so universal. This blank white mind has been given much to ponder…goodness…you were missed!
hey henry – the dark arts… you nail that sense of shadowplay to the wall…
movement and energy all show off and up – i wicked display! 🙂
This has that weird sense of meaning more than the words say, but only suggest. This is a very powerful effect, and one I wish I could master. The arrangement of your words and stanzas reflect perhaps the dancing figures, so your poetry takes on an added dimension of meaning. Excellent.
an eerie feel to this – sounds like some brainwashing going on in those white blank minds.
LOVE the form and the your game with the words. Love your blog in general and your creativity. Thanks for this piece
Stumbled here and I’m glad. I like the reference to our social crisis, if I understood correctly
Thanks for stumbling by. Yes, you understood correctly:)