Air sax...........................

   

In the dorm rooms of our snowbound college 

during certain parts of the Coltrane solos 

featured on the album Milestones, 

parts we had deemed exceedingly worthy, 

we boys would play imaginary 

tenor saxophones by placing a thumb 

in our mouths, leaving the free hand 

to handle the intricacies of the fingering. 

and with puffed-out cheeks and eyes closed, 

we would blow hard, instead of sucking 

as we had done in our infancy. 

And even though we would step back 

to laugh at the silly pathos of ourselves, 

there was always great intensity and joy in our playing.

-Billy Collins