Tomas Gayton, Poet

Tomas was born and raised in Seattle, Washington, the grandson of African American pioneers. He began writing verse soon after graduating with a Juris Doctor from the University of Washington. Tomas is also a Civil Rights Attorney, social activist, world traveler, teacher and lecturer. His poetry is his life in verse. "Yazoo City Blues" is Tomas' fifth volume of prose and poetry which includes a bilingual edition: "Vientos de Cambio, Winds of Change," "Time of the Poet," "Dark Symphony in Duet," with the late Sarah Fabio, and "Two Races, One Face," with John Peterson. His work has appeared in various publications and literary journals including the Seattle Times, The Seattle Review, Sheila Na Gig, Vision Magazine, The Poetry Conspiracy, The Publication, Urban Walls, Collectively Creatin', the National Catholic Reporter and Magee Park Poets 2003. As a member of the Bicentennial Performing Arts Project of Pasadena, Tomas performed his poetry in the Los Angeles area with the poetry ensemble, Long Journey Home. He has been featured at the La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art, Le Musee D'Art Moderne in Paris, France, the Elliot Bay Book Co. in Seattle, Dizzy's Jazz club in San Diego, Bukowski's in Vancover, BC, and the Union Nacional de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba (UNEAC) in Habana. Tomas has read his poetry on KPFK, Pacifica radio, Los Angeles and has performed with Jazz greats Charles McPherson, cousin Clark Gayton and Daniel Jackson. In 2002 Tomas and "Yazoo City Blues" were featured on San Diego Profiles, City Channel 24. He has taught verse writing at the Writing Center and the Girl's Rehabilitation Facility in San Diego, began the Poetry Workshop in La Jolla, California, at D.G. Wills bookstore and co-founded San Diego Poets' Press. Yazoocityblues.com tgayton@flash.net Tomasgayton@hotmail.com

FRED'S PLACE

I recently made a late morning stop at Fred's stereo tech where
turntables, speakers, receivers, miscellaneous electrical gadgets, ancient album
covers and vinyl records dwell in creative chaotic clutter on crowded shelves,
floors and in every nook and cranny of his wacky workshop and studio.

On the wall above the upright piano is a poster of Big Jay Mc Neely
playing his sax on his back on stage in Los Angeles in 1951 with the white kids
pressing against the stage with hearts and hands uplifted, eyes flaming
and gaping mouths rejoicing for more blues! more blues! more blues!

Meanwhile Fred, the wizard of wires and words, stands behind the counter
reciting his poem, The Sanitarian." Smiling leprechaun eyes glitter as he
recites his latest masterpiece on man's quest for meaning by extracting
with two fingers a piece of snot unwinding slowly like a snake from his
nose.

Don't be distracted by the clear plastic baggie containing white powder
labeled ANTHRAX written in black sitting on a shelf waiting a paranoid
reaction or a visit by your local FBI working overtime to rid the world
of terrorists and their pot smoking, coke snorting, sympathizers

TIJUANA

After i finish the duties of the day

i return to my home on a steep hillside

in San Diego in Alta California

across la frontera she sprawls

below foothills and la mesa grande

basking in noon day sun

Sometimes she is hidden in gray--

as if she were not a neighbor

a weather pattern floating on la frontera

At night she is a sea of lights sparkling

in the dark like a lady looking for a lover

to join her in the crossing

I Remember Miles

The man with the chiseled face

black agate eyes

and golden trumpet

whose soul chords & blue notes

soar through time & color

to inspire generations of Jazz lovers

and livers

Miles invites Lila and me to his pad

She drives the VW like a bumper car

across Bronx battle zone into the heart of it

while I cringe as she careens down

the crowded canyons of Manhattan

It's fall and dusk creeps across the Hudson

when foxy Lila and I stand on the stoop

of Miles' brownstone

buzzing like supplicants

His raspy sandpaper whisper invites us

upstairs to his boudoir

Miles hugs Lila as his would-be

and we recline on his huge bed

as he displays his rainbow wardrobe

and orders drinks from Maria--

I volunteer to help her

Miles says, "She is the help!"

Miles is built like a featherweight

small and lean

smooth cobalt skin

"Listen to this!" He rasps as

he fits a tape into a player

and we listen in rapt attention

to his latest combo's creation

It's just after his divorce from Betty

and he's bitter

its bitches! bitches! bitches!

Miles is bitter

as he chops out a thin white line

on the wide ebony bar

wearing his tux with the bow untied

humming All Blues.

Friday Night

It's the first rain of summer and it's September in San Diego

I'm cuddled up on the couch with my new book

V.S. Naipaul's wonderful "Writer and the World"

Wherein he strings a series of his pearls of perception

"The politics of a country can only be an extension of its idea

of human relationships"

This modern man with multi-layered life experiences

serves up a vision of man and society that leaves

one wondering where there is room for hope

in the darkness of wretched deprivation and war

He manages to light a candle and curse the darkness

with the wit and wisdom of one who has lived

a full life of travel and observation

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