Axis

Evening & moon -- Awapu Plateau, Utah -- April 26, 1991 -- photo by Mark Weber

Evening & moon — Awapu Plateau, Utah — April 26, 1991 — photo by Mark Weber

AXIS

For Anna Diorio

And if you were going to spend
……….your life in music, what will be your polestar?
Into what forest will you go on the nights
…………….of the full moon? ….Will your music
interweave with the leaves, will flowers
……welcome you into their rhythm?
Will you find the pulse of life and serenity
among the shimmering fish in this river
………………………….of music?

While you anchor offshore to bring on
……provisions, how many white puffy clouds
…………..can you put in your cupboards?
How many clocks have you thrown over-board since
……………..you began?
How many subways and highways and jet streams
………..did you ride looking for
……………………………..the sound of turquoise blue?
And then, when you are counting on your fingers,
…..how many times have you had to listen
…………to your heart and keep going?

—-Mark Weber – 7sept13

Window art — Washington DC — downtown on E Street near 13th — March 18, 1995 — photo by Mark Weber

Rayburn Music store — 263 Huntington Avenue, Boston — August 6, 1998 — photo by Mark Weber

Little Cottonwood Canyon, Wasatch Mountains, Utah — April 14, 1991 — photo by Mark Weber

Flying Point Beach, Southampton, Long Island -- June 1995 -- photo by Mark Weber

Flying Point Beach, Southampton, Long Island — June 1995 — photo by Mark Weber

Saxophonist Will Jhun en route to see Ted Brown Quartet at Trumpets in New Jersey -- August 6, 2011 --photo by Mark Weber

Saxophonist Will Jhun en route to see Ted Brown Quartet at Trumpets in New Jersey — August 6, 2011 –photo by Mark Weber

Boston Harbor 7:30am from 26th floor of Marriott Hotel — August 4, 1998 — photo by Mark Weber

12 Comments

  1. Charley Krachy

    I think Anna will do all things mentions in the first verse…with that same beautiful smile…

    Both alternate titles are right on…great work Mark..!
    Poem captures her essence…..

  2. Mark Weber

    The working title for this poem was:
    30,000 FEET UP IN THE AIR FLYING TO NEW YORK
    and
    alternate titles were
    THE QUEST
    and
    COMING INTO YOUR OWN

  3. Sheila Jordan

    What a wonderful poem. I so identified with it Mark. The photos are so beautiful…like you…a beautiful human being is what you are. Love and best Sheila

  4. Mary Lance

    Great, Mark. Love that photo of the music store window.

  5. Katja Lauterstein

    I like the images with the poem.  And more feeling lately seems like to me, yes?  Peeling back the layers?  

  6. Alex

    Dear Mark:

    Simply beautiful. Layered. Full. Inspired and inspiring.

    “Just ask the axis. (He knows everything.)”

    Thank you.

  7. steve schmidt

    beautiful and well thought out poem. and very cool picts too.

  8. Joan Jobe Smith

    god, mark, this poem is just beautiful. i’m awe-struck, at a loss for
    proper words to laud this deep, deep poem. Are you levitating yet?
    You seem very light and with buoyant light lifting you higher and higher.

    where did the art of Frank Sinatra come from? can’t find any artist name..
    that’s fabulous.. all the photos wonderful.. those you did.. much love and respect.. .

  9. ronald baatz

    excellent poem, mark. i’ll end up reading it many times…

  10. Bill Payne

    Great poem!!! To me it is a message of Hope…

  11. Mark Weber

    This poem was read at jam session Tusday evening September 10, 2013 — 7-10pm at Studio 475 (room 410) aka Connie Crother’s loft in Williamsburg, Brooklyn

    Being that I was only in town briefly Connie was gracious enough to have all of my friends and new friends convene at her place for a jam session.

    This was 2-month-old Quincy Sanguedolce’s first jam session and he yelled & laughed and sort’ve sang while kicking his feet in pure joy.

    Ryan Massina — trumpet
    Gary Levy — alto sax
    Ace Yamashita — Gibson L5
    Adam Caine — Guild fatbody guitar
    Kevin Norton — vibes & dr
    Jessica Jones — tenor sax
    Nick Lyons — alto sax (also played upright bass ! )
    Jeff Pearring — alto sax
    Lorenzo Sanguedolce — tenor sax
    Carol Leibowitz — piano
    Kazzrie Jaxen — piano
    Anna Diorio (didn’t perform)
    Charley Krachy (didn play) — tenor sax
    Roger Mancuso (drums first hour, then KN took over, then Todd Capp thereafter)
    Brian Questa — bass
    Virg — (close)
    Ed Schuller — bass
    Connie — piano & host
    Todd Capp — drums
    AND
    a dozen others who came to hang and listen.

    Anna Diorio is a student at Boston University who is working on her undergraduate thesis in Cultural Anthropology. She is the daughter of guitarist Mark Diorio, and the granddaughter of Betty Scott who sang with Lennie Tristano. She is not related to guitarist Joe Diorio (she says everybody always asks). Mark Diorio was a student of Sal Mosca. Anna is now a student of pianist Harvey Diamond. So, she’s zero-ing in — this thesis intends to quantify how & what is “emotion” in music and how feelings are brought to the fore.

    The music had to slow down at 10pm but we all hung around and visited eventually gravitating to the roof of Connie’s 11-story building with views of Williamsburg Bridge, Empire State Bldg & Chrysler Bldg, Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge, and far to the north the Tri-Borough Bridge. Under the stars on a warm clear night till 2:20am ! New York is the place!

    I conked out on Connie’s futon with view of East River out giant window. Life is so magical who could guess that when I found her first album for 99 cents in a grocery store in Southern California 33 years ago (1980) that one day I’d be sleeping on her futon!

  12. joie

    Beautiful poem and images Mark!
    Thanks for sharing and inspiring

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