OLATUNJI
(1927-2003)

At a party after school
there was the drummer
Olatunji
of the Yoruba tribe
from Nigeria
who ate with us
at the college cafeteria
and showed us
his cool playing method
that he invented
right out of his water closet
and subscribes to
"Gun,Go,Do,Pata"
there was Olatunji
a friend of Coltrane
as we were there for jazz
and surrendered
all previous assumptions
about musical chops
when he invited Olatunji
to his last public recital
playing his chops
kicking off our shoes
with many shout outs
playing all the stops
in April,1967
from an earthy heaven
recording his vital final album
"Expression" or "Ogunde"
at the Olatunji Center
of African Culture
whom Coltrane funded
as we were all rewarded,
soon writing a critical
cultural article as a poet
about that night
the following summer.