The right notes

For Jazzy John

In the shadows before caffeine and light
strange creatures assemble in black coats
on the wrong side of the city, at night.
Bending the darkness with their sweet notes
they astonish with their lines and chords.
Knowing when to blend, when to thrill
they lend us poetry without words
with each arpeggio and rapid fill.
Accurate notes, some softer, some faster
are a form of artistry best observed
in the skilful hands of a master.
In deep cellars where candles are burned
the void is filled by luminous sound.
In the dark, the brightest light is found.