Janet Brice Parker
Night Music
New Orleans is beautiful
on sunny days.
The trees in
Jackson Square
form a canopy
of shade for
artists and musicians.
Music fills
a complex city—
lively, sad, bluesy,
and jazzy.
Talented tap dancers
entertain visitors
and fill hearts with
jubilation.
But when darkness
settles in,
the atmosphere
begins to change.
Restaurants glow,
drinks are passed around,
and saxophones and trumpets
shine beneath colorful lights.
The bass fiddle twirls,
its rich, deep tones
vibrating through the room.
Food of the gods
keeps people returning.
But the scene
isn’t always gentle.
There can be fear
in the night,
and it’s a long time
until sunrise,
when the dancers
come out again.
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