Holy Blues

Holy Blues

    “My roots are in the blues,

      the holy blues.”  - Alvin Ailey

Mama -- got the blues,

The holy blues;

The singin’, dancin’, drummin’

Holy blues.

My skin is dark and shinin’.

My heart is big and brave.

And tho’ my life is one long hell

I’ll take down to my grave,

I’ll dance and swing

The whole night through

‘Til birds begin to sing;

And when I die,

Just let me lie

While the saints blow holy blues.

              © Peg Latham, 2010

B. B. King, Live in Hamburg, November, 1971
Photo by Heinrich Klaffs
from Wikimedia Commons