MAXWELL STREET POET
MAXWELL STREET BLUES BEGAN PLAYING ACROSS THE SOUTH WATER MARKET FUNNY GROWING UP IN THE VILLAGE WE ACTUALLY MOVED INTO THE BUILDING 1968 CHRISTMAS FROM THE WEST SIDE THERE WE WERE LOOKING FROM THE TEN FLOOR WINDOW I WATCHED THE CITY OF CHICAGO BEING BUILT MY COUSINS AND I COLLECTED WHITE ROCKS ON THE RAILROAD TRACKS ACROSS ROOSEVELT ROAD LEADING TO STATE STREET CARRYING MASON JARS FOR INSECTS CATERPILLARS AND GRASSHOPPERS MY MOM FORBID ME TO PLAY WITH BUGS BUT IT WAS OUR THING GROWNING UP IN THE VILLAGE WE FOLLOWED MY UNCLES ICE CREAM TRUCK DOWN 18TH STREET TO TAYLOR STREET LITTLE ITALY FOR ITALIAN ICES AND CHICAGO HOTDOGS THEN JEW TOWN SHOPPING AND LISTENING TO THE BLUES MAXWELL STREET WAS THE BEST MY AUNT WOULD PRESS MY HAIR WHILE BOBBY RUSH BOBBY BLUE BLAND AND BB KING PLAYED SOMETHING ABOUT MAXWELL STREET THAT MADE MY SOUL SING SOMETIMES I DIDN'T LIKE HEARING THE BLUES ON MAXWELL STREET HEARING THE BLUES DOES SOMETHING TO YOUR PSYCHY IT BRINGS DEPRESSION UP CLOSE AND VETY PERSONAL SINGING BLUES MEANS JUST THAT RATHER POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION HAVING A BABY COMING DIWN WITH BABY BLUES OR LIKE LOSING A CHILD WHEN MY BROTHER WAS KILLED IN THE VILLAGE MY MOM SANG THE BLUES WE WEREN'T ALONE MAXWELL STREET WAS FILLED WITH A LOT OF TEARS MAKE NO MISTAKE AFTER LOVE THERES TEARS MAXWELL STREET WAS FILLED WITH MANY TEARS MANY HOLD UPS ROBBERIES MURDERS KIDNAPPING HOBOS THE SILENCE ALWAYS CAME OVER THE CITY OF CHICAGO WHEN THE BLUES STOP PLAYING ON MAXWELL STREET
YOLANDA JOY NICHOLSEN
MAXWELL STREET POET
Copyright © Yolanda Joy Nicholsen | Year Posted 2025
|