Gems and Jazz

There’s a girl outside of Reno who works with precious stone;
or semi-precious, some would say--both sayings are well known.
Yet whether it is emerald or whether it’s topaz,
Alicia creates jewelry while listening to jazz.

Among the smooth of saxophone she’ll take some sodalite,*
and expertly accent the blue until it glistens bright.
Or when she sets fine amethyst, the trumpets make her day;
like luminescent violet, it takes her breath away.

Within her store the gem supply is adequate enough;
she utilizes a Mohs Scale because her gems are tough.
And as she works with jeweler’s saw, content as she can be,
she’ll go and jazz the atmosphere with a jazz-filled CD.

Although Alicia thinks all gems are geologic art,
the ones in blue are special and they captivate her heart.
Perhaps she dreams within the depth of all shades of azure;
perhaps blue holds some memory--she really is not sure.

One day she listened to the news when jazz was taking five;
she squeezed a moonstone amulet then uttered, “Man alive!”
She heard that All That Jazz and his ensemble were in town;
in all-a-quiver butterfly, she set the moonstone down.

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When All That Jazz was only nine he was sure of two things;
he’d make the music they call jazz and wear his diamond rings.
But rings, he found, were not enough to sate his gem desire;
so chains and pins and amulets adorned his full attire.

He also was bedazzled by the gems from earthly store;
O garnet, ruby, sapphire--such beauty to adore!
The mesmerizing of beryl, the quartz that lets light through;
he carried gemstones in his van, especially those of blue.

One night after a Reno gig, Jazz drove to Saddlehorn;
far south of Reno Jazz enjoyed the still of early morn.
He saw a store, and it said, ‘Gems,” but inside all was black.
yet due to his allure for gems, he knew he would be back.

It was past noon when he returned--Alicia came outside;
she was enraptured by All That and felt it deep inside.
He offered her a deep blue stone and like a serenade,
they felt melodic freedom as a heart-to-heart was made.

They honeymooned at Lake Tahoe and crystal feelings flowed;
Alicia still works at the store while Jazz goes on the road.
In order to increase the trade, and give her store pizzazz,
Alicia changed the storefront sign to, “Gems and All That Jazz.”


40 Lines
Writer’s Cramp
3-9-13

*Sodalite is a rich royal blue mineral widely enjoyed as an ornamental gemstone.