Writer's Digest April 2023 Poems

Ode to Tower of Power

Tower of Power

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Ode to the Tower of Power

The greatest funk band
There ever was
You are the epitome
Of funk and soul music
The very definition of funk

Multi-racial
Multi-cultural
Multi-talented
Mult-gendered

The best horn section
In the universe
Just sublime

Formed in the East Bay
In the turbulent 60s
Playing that funky music
For almost 50 years

Their love song
You’re still a young man
Is perhaps the greatest
make out song
Of all times

The first song
I slowed danced to
Back in high school
A song I played
To seduce my wife

I wonder how many babies
Were conceived because
Of this classic soul song.
Another classic song

What is hip
Which poised
An unanswered question
And inspired this triolet

What is love, tell me if you know
Love is what it is
Do you know what love is, Joe?
What is love, tell me if you know
And how can you make it grow?
Madness is what it does
What is love, tell me if you know
Love is what it is

The Tower of Power
No doubt
Will still be playing
That funky music
White boy

A hundred years
From now
For funk
Will never die

For once you get funk
In your soul baby
You can never go back
To boring vanilla
white boy music

because you got soul, now.
Because you got
That soul vaccination baby

And need to go
Down to the nightclub
And play that funky music
White boy
Until the day you die.

Based loosely on the classic Tower of Power Song, “What is hip?”
What Is Hip Lyrics
[Verse 1]
So ya wanna dump out yo' trick bag
Ease on in a hip thang
But you ain't exactly sure what is hip
So you started to let your hair grow
Spent big bucks on your wardrobe
Somehow, ya know there's much more to the trip
[Chorus]
What is hip?
Tell me, tell me, if you think you know
What is hip?
If you're hip
The question, "Will it show?"
You're into a hip trip
Maybe hipper than hip
What is hip?
[Verse 2]
You became a part of a new breed
Been smoking' only the best weed
Hangin' out with the so-called "Hippie set."
Seen in all the right places
Seen with just the right faces
You should be satisfied, but it ain't quite right
[Chorus]
What is hip?
Tell me, tell me, if you think you know
What is hip?
If you're hip
The question, "Will it show?"
You're into a hip trip
Maybe hipper than hip
What is hip?
[Break]
Come on
[Refrain]
Hipness is. What it is
Hipness is. What it is
Hipness is. What it is
Sometimes hipness is, what it ain't
You're Still a Oung Man, Baby
You're still a young man
Baby, Oo oo, don't waste your time
You're still a young man
Baby, Oo oo, don't waste your time
Down on my knees
Oh, heart in hand
I was accused of being too young
But I'm not so young
I could make you happy
I'm not a bad man
You're too young to love (If you and I could be together)
You're too young to love (I'll never leave you alone baby)
You're too young Ooo Ooo (No I won't sweet lady)
Don't waste your time
The damage is done
You see that you were wrong
You wake up wondering just
How well I've done
Well I've done alright
Yes there are some girls but you know
I dropped them on sight
Just for you
Because I love you
You're still a young man
Baby, Oo oo, don't waste your time
(Someday you'll understand just what it means when a man
Comes to you with his little heart in his hands
Just to love you)
Don't waste your time
You better listen to me
Sayin that I'm loving you yeah hey now baby tryin to tell
You that it's you you you you you you you you talkin to you
Baby, I'll never never never never I'll never do you
No wrong no no lady if you would check my stuff out one time haha

Just to hold you, to squeeze you and all I wanna do is to
Get next to you and please please please you baby
See where I'm coming from!

Written by legendary sax players Emilio Castillo and Stephen Kupka, the song portrays a young man at the wrong end of a breakup. The situation is bleak because his lover pins the break-up on an age difference. In an interview with Songfacts Castillo said:

It’s based on a true story. I had a girlfriend that was six years older than me. I was 18, she was 24 and that’s actually what happened. She had kind of cut me loose because of the age difference thing and the whole plea in the story is the young guy’s saying, ‘I’m not too young, I’m not wasting my time and I do love you as a man can truly love a woman.’"

The song would go on to be the band's first major hit defining their sound with a prominent horn section inspired by Curtis Mayfield:

“On that album, there’s a song called “A Woman’s Love” that starts with beautiful trumpets high. When we heard that we wanted to write a song with a great trumpet intro like that. – TowerofPower.com
Write a poem every day of April with the 2023 April Poem-A-Day Challenge. For today's prompt, we have our second two-for-Tuesday prompt.

For today's prompt, we have our second two-for-Tuesday prompt, which means you get two prompts, and they are:
Write a form poem, and/or...
Write an anti-form poem.