Yardbird
Robert Peters
​

Midtown, 52nd, far from KC,
           cold, rain too.
Missed the connection,
          like the lover man gig.
Low ceilin‘, people standin’,
          cats on stage, 2AM.
Legs heavy, lots of noise,
          lots of smoke.
Horn in paper bag, up on stage;
         4 flats, and 1, 2, 1,2,3,4--
First set, KoKo, need my medicine,
         white girls with the cats.
People clappin’, owner happy,
         loaned me ten.
Pree gone, Chan moanin’, broken,
         scrapple blowin’.
Just friends, strings not here,
        Just sick, like last year.
Nica on 5th------

​The coroner put him at 55,
         Bird was 34.