Years Later, Frank O'Hara, by Henry Crawford

Billie Holiday photographed by Charles Hewitt (USA), 1945.

Years Later, Frank O'Hara

I was only five
years old
and fifteen
miles away
as you were
leaning against
that dingy john
door

so I came
to this poem
a little too young
and a moment
too late
​
to do much
for her except
to listen
eyes closed
saying to myself
it’s only
a song.

Henry Crawford

Read the poem that inspired this one: The Day Lady Died, by Frank O'Hara
​
Henry Crawford is a poet living and writing in the Washington, DC area. His work has appeared in several journals and online publications including Boulevard, Copper Nickel, Folio, Borderline Press and The Offbeat. He is a 2016 nominee for a Pushcart Prize for his poem “The City of Washington” appearing in District Lit. His first collection of poetry, American Software, is scheduled for publication in the Spring of 2017 by WordTech Communications through its imprint, CW Books.