Composition

Lyrics

1. Her sister sings.
Something I had to sing,
my voice the beauty
of a single feather
from her life, snap-wing.

2. Woman resting, spring.
She lies in the garden peacefully,
her unopened book
slipping from her lap.

Sunlight like a sister
she laughed with,
caressed, comforted.

Now, the softest breeze
moves the stems
of her hair. Her skin

blooms. She,
so restless, anxious,
watchful, rests.

3. Her child.
Her child, disbelief,
a little obscenity
of giggly rude words
chanted back at her.

‘Stop that! Not funny,
Nor clever!’ but
in truth, both.
He overheard her,

too much wine,
too much lunch,
too much laughter
with her sisters,

all troubled, worried
by unfinished love.
And at last, the relief
of those filthy jokes,

forgetting for a second
the earshot
of her little boy,
his scattergun, tiny satire.

his scattergun, tiny satire.

4. Woman in the sun.
She steps from the waters
into the bright light, cascade
of friend-beauty in the warm
sun, as if sung like the birds,
yet feet rooted in the earth.
Love finally eases her pain.
She is beauty and voice,
nothing but the light
pours from her. She
is happiness, the giver
of tenderness. She,
naked, dries
in the sight of spring.

5. Her sister sings.
All through her days
of suffering, she cried:
“stay with me!”ƒ

When young, her song
was laughter: “Dance
with me, sweet girl!”

Now I see the beauty
of her light passing
from her quiet skin.

6. Her parties.
She is like a fire
passing through the forests
of people at a party,
leaving none burnt
but warmed
by the knowing
she carried
to each of them:
“That is how you are,
it is okay. I love you.”
Her parties places of rest,
comfort, laughter, food
we’d forgotten existed,
pure pleasure
and nurture,
the body ringing
like a bell
not warning
but celebrating
a bright day
somewhere, here.