Nathan Nicolau
The Morning Astrud Gilberto Died
These June days get hotter
to baptize in the cool waters of jazz.
When the news came, I was drenched
in sweat moving out of my apartment
while thinking about how
Sailors used to sing about the ocean,
but never said it spoke Portuguese.
Brazil's sea shanties,
Astrud sauntered through
the beaches of my mind
as I boxed up my towels.
Bio
Nathan Nicolau is a writer/poet based in Charlotte, NC. Since his published debut in 2019, his work has been featured on multiple websites and magazines such as Oddball Magazine, OPEN: Journal of Arts and Letters, and South Florida Poetry Journal. His debut novel, TWO, is forthcoming March 2024. Find out more about him at nathannicolau.com.