Shake Keane

The Angel Horn (Brooklyn, 1997)

When I was born,
my father gave to me
an angelhorn
With wings of melody.
That angel placed her lips
upon my finger-tips
and I became, became
her secret name.

Her name grew strong,
Spread like a passion tree.
She named the song,
I played the melody.
And in the morning hour
I awoke to dream of her,
And all day long, day long,
I lived her song.

In boat and barge
where songs and seas are friends
our dreams grew large,
made love where dreaming ends.
And people placed her lips
upon our finger-tips
and friends became, became,
our secret name.

Now light is low,
new angels come and go.
The passion tree
Spreads dense as destiny.
And this old angelhorn
strives like the lifting dawn!
Love moves to claim,
to claim our secret name.



Shake Keane (1927-97) was born in St. Vincent
and died in Oslo, Norway at the beginning of
a Jazz tour. The book, "The Angel Horn" was
published in 2005. Copies are available
at Gaynes bookstore in Kingsown.