Inspired by Ornette Coleman’s “Lonely Woman”

Lonely woman, where are you going?

I am leaving.
I want to see the smoky nights,
the endless stars of the haunted plains.

I want to experience the frustration of the 405.
I want to see the Redwoods.

I am living to experience the cool desert chill,
the brightness of the sun.

I am here to feel the sand on my toes, and
the salt on my lips from the Pacific Ocean.

I am here to feel restless
in my skin, to see mountains,
breathe in mountain air.

I am ready to feel the fire I set.
I am ready to sit with mountain lions.

I am love incarnate,
I am joy incarnate,
I am freedom incarnate,

I am soul incarnate,
I am jazz incarnate,
I am youth incarnate,

I am heart incarnate;
I am chakras incarnate;
my third eye is God’s eye.

Can I come with you?

No strange man,
you can’t.

 

Jason Wright is the editor and founder of Oddball Magazine. His column appears weekly. His third book, Train of Thought 2: Almost Home is available now at the Oddball Book Store.