and
by
John Taggart
1To breathe and stretch one's arms again
to breathe through the mouth to breathe to
breathe through the mouth to utter in
the most quiet way not to whisper not to whisper
to breathe through the mouth in the most quiet way to
breathe to sing to breathe to sing to breathe
to sing the most quiet way.To sing to light the most quiet light in darkness
radiantia radiantia
singing light in darkness.To sing as the host sings in his house.
To breathe through the mouth to breathe through the
mouth to breathe to sing to
sing in the most quiet way to
sing the seeds in the earth breathe forth
not to whisper the seeds not to whisper in the earth
to sing the seeds in the earth the most quiet way to
sing the seeds in the earth breathe forth.To sing to light the most quiet light in darkness
radiant light of seeds in the earth
singing light in the darkness.To sing as the host sings in his house.
To breathe through the mouth to breathe to sing
in the most quiet way not to
whisper the seeds in the earth breathe forth
to sing totality of the seeds not to eat to
sing the seeds in the earth to
be at ease to sing totality totality
to sing to be at easeTo sing to light the most quiet light in darkness
be at case with radiant seeds
with singing light in darkness,To sing as the host sings in his house.
2
To breathe and stretch one's arms again
to stretch to stretch to straighten to stretch to
rise to stretch to straighten to rise
to full height not to torture not to torture to
rise to full height to give to hold out to
to give the hand to hold out the hand
to give to hold out to.To give self-lighted flowers in the darkness
fiery saxifrage
to hold out self-lighted flowers in darknessTo give as the host gives in his house.
To stretch to stretch to straighten to stretch to
rise to full height not to torture not to
to rise to give to hold out to
give the hand to hold out the hand to give
hope hope of hope of perfect hope of perfect rest
to give hope of perfect rest
to give to hold out to.To give self-lighted flowers in the darkness
perfect and fiery hope
to hold out lighted flowers in darkness.To give as the host gives in his house.
To stretch to stretch to straighten to stretch to
rise to full height not to torture to
give the hand to hold out the hand to
give hope to give hope of perfect rest to
rest not to lay flat not to lay out
to rest as seeds as seeds in the earth
to give rest to hold out to.To give self-lighted flowers in the darkness
fiery hope of perfect rest
to hold out light flowers in darkness.To give as the host gives in his house.
3
To breathe and stretch one's arms again
to join arm-in-arm to join arm-in-arm to
join to take to take into
to join to take into a state of intimacy
not in anger not in anger
to join arm-in-arm to join arms
to take into intimacy.To take into the light in the darkness
into the excited phosphor
to be in light in the darkness.To take as the host takes into his house.
To join arm-in-arm to join arm-in-arm to
join to take to take into
to join to take into a state of intimacy
not anger not anger
to take as the earth takes seeds as
the poor the poor must be taken into
to take into intimacy.To take into the light into the darkness
into the phosphor star-flowers
to be in the light in the darkness.To take as the host takes into the house.
To Join arm-in-arm to join arm-in-arm to
join arms to take to take into a state of intimacy
not anger
to take as the earth takes seeds as
the poor must be taken into
to end the silence and the solitude
to take into intimacy.To take into the light in the darkness
into the star-flowers before sunrise
to be in the light in the darkness.To take as the host takes into his house.
1You have to hear the sound before you play the sound.
You have to hear you have to you have to hear to
hear you have to give you have to give ear you
who have you who have ears you who have ears to
hear you have to give ear to hear the traveller you
have to you have to you have to give ear you who have
ears to hear the traveller who is a bird to
hear the traveller who is a bird who so sings.If you call out to the bird and if you call out
to the bird and wait on the bird: the sound is there.You have to hear the sound before you play before
you move before you move the hands before you move
with the hands you have to hear the sound before you
move before you clap before you clap with the hands.If you call out to the bird and if you call out
to the bird and wait on the bird: the sound is there.
You have to hear you have to you have to hear to
hear you have to give you have to give ear you
who have ears you who have ears to hear
you have to give ear to hear the traveller to
hear the traveller who is a bird who is a bird who
so sings who is not visible who cannot be
handed about who is a bird who sings who is
a bird who is invisible who cannot be handed about.If you call out to the bird and if you call out
to the bird and wait on the bird: the sound Is there.Before you move before you move the hands before
you move with the hands you have to hear the sound before
you move before you move with before you clap with the
hands before you clap with the hands for joy.If you call out to the bird and if you call out
to the bird and wait on the bird: the sound is there.
You have to hear you have to you have to hear to
hear you have to give ear you who have
ears to hear you have to give ear to hear
the traveller to hear the traveller who
is a bird who is a bird who so sings who is
not visible who cannot be handed about who cannot
be broken who is a bird who is invisible
who cannot be handed about who cannot be broken.If you call out to the bird and if you call out
to the bird and wait on the bird: the sound is there.Before you move before you move the hands before
you move with the hands you have to hear the sound before
you clap before you clap with the hands for joy
before you move with the vibration in the air.If you call out to the bird and if you call out
to the bird and wait on the bird: the sound is there.
You have to hear you have to you have to hear to
hear you have to give you who have
ears to hear you have to give ear to hear
the traveller who is a bird who is a bird who
sings who is not visible who cannot be handed
about who cannot be broken who is a bird who
is invisible who cannot be handed about
who cannot be broken who cannot be reassembled.If you call out to the bird and if you call out
to the bird and wait on the bird: the sound is there.Before you move before you move the hands before
you move with the hands you have to hear the sound before
you clap before you clap the hands for joy
before you move within the vibration in the air.If you call out to the bird and if you call out
to the bird and wait on the bird: the sound is there.
2
You have to hear the sound before you play the sound.
You have to you have to you have to you
have to hear the bird who sings you have to hear the bird
bird out you have to listen to hear to
listen to the end to hear the end to hear
the lesson to listen to the lesson to hear the
lesson to the end to listen to the lesson to
the end to hear out to attend and listen to the end.The sound is there the sound is not there the sound
is there the sound is not: you will plead and sigh for it.You have to hear the sound before you play before
there is room before there is room to clap
before there is room to clap and to pass around to
clap and to pass around and around to a great drum.The sound is there the sound is not there the sound
is there the sound is not: you will plead and sigh for it.
You have to you have to you have to you
have to hear the bird who sings you have to hear the
bird out you have to listen to hear to
listen to the end to hear to listen to hear
to the end to hear the lesson to listen to the
lesson to hear the lesson to the end to listen to
the lesson to the end to attend and listen to the
end you have to depart to depart from all crowds.The sound is there the sound is not there the sound
is there the sound is not: you will plead and sigh for it.Before there is room before there is room to clap
to clap for joy you have to hear the sound
before there is room to clap and to pass around to
clap and to sway around and around to a great drum.The sound is there the sound is not there the sound
is there the sound is not: you will plead and sigh for it.
You have to you have to you have to you
have to hear the bird sing you have to hear the
bird sing out you have to listen to the bird sing
out to listen to the end to hear the lesson to
listen to the lesson to hear the lesson to the
end to listen to the lesson to the end to attend
and listen to the end you have to depart from
all crowds to depart to depart from all friends.The sound is there the sound is not there the sound
is there the sound is not: you will plead and sigh for it.Before there is room before there is room to clap
to clap for joy you have to hear the sound before
There is room to clap and to pass and sway to
sway around and around with candles to a great drum.
The sound is there the sound is not there the sound
is there the sound, is not: you will plead and sigh for it.
You have to you have to you have to you
have to hear the bird sing out you have to listen
to the bird sing out to listen to the end to
hear the lesson to listen to the lesson to hear the
lesson to the end to listen to the lesson to
the end to attend and listen to the end you have
to depart from all crowds you have to depart
from all friends to depart from all relatives.The sound is there the sound is not there the sound
is there the sound is not: you will plead and sigh for it.Before there is room before there is room to clap
clap for joy you have to hear the sound before there
is room to pass and to sway to sway around and
around as a candle dancer to a great drum.The sound is there the sound is not there the sound
is there the sound is not: you will plead and sigh for it.
3
You have to hear the sound before you play the sound.
You have you have you have you have you
have to you have you have to you have to hear it
is you who have to hear the bird to hear the
bird you have to hear the bird sing you have to sit to
hear to sit under the singing to sit under the
singing of the bird to sit under the singing of
the bird in the court to sit in the court of the bird.Allure the bird into the wilderness into the wilderness
that is yourself that the sound is there.You have to hear the sound before you play before
there is room to clap you have to
hear the sound before you pass around sway around
as a candle dancer to a great drum as a source of delight.Allure the bird into the wilderness into the wilderness
that is yourself that the sound is there.
You have you have you have you have you
have to you have to you have to hear it is you
who have to hear the bird to hear the bird you
have to hear the- bird sing you have to sit to
hear to sit to hear to sit under to sit under the
singing sit under the singing of the bird to
sit under the singing of the bird in the court to
sit in the court of the bird to sit to hear to assent.Allure the bird into the wilderness into the wilderness
that is yourself that the sound is there.Before there is room to clap you have to
hear the sound before you pass around before you
sway around as a candle dancer to a great drum as
a source of delight as waves striking in the night.Allure the bird into the wilderness into the wilderness
that is yourself that the sound is there.
You have you have you have you have you
have to you have to you have to hear it is you who
have to hear the bird to hear the bird you
have to hear the bird sing you have to sit to
hear to sit under to sit under the singing
sit under the singing of the bird to sit under
the singing of the bird in the court to sit in the
court of the bird to sit to hear to assent as in prayer.Allure the bird into the wilderness into the wilderness
that is yourself that the sound is there.Before there is room to clap you have to
hear the sound before you sway around as a candle
dancer to a great drum as a source of delight
as waves striking in the night as wind striking the waves.Allure the bird into the wilderness into the wilderness
that is yourself that the sound is there.
You have you have you have you have you
have to you have to you have to hear it is you who
have to hear the bird to hear the bird you
have to hear the bird sing you have to sit to
hear to sit under to sit under to sit under the singing
of the bird to sit under the singing of the bird in
the court to sit in the court of the bird to
sit to hear to assent as in prayer being heard.Allure the bird into the wilderness into the wilderness
that is yourself that the sound is there.Before there is room to clap you have to
hear the sound before you sway as a candle dancer to
a great drum as a source of delight as waves
striking in the night as wind striking waves as cymbals.Allure the bird into the wilderness into the wilderness
that is yourself that the sound is there.
4
You have to hear the sound before you play the sound.
It is you who have to hear it is you who have to hear it
is you who have to sit under the singing
of the bird it is you who have to sit in the
court of the bird to hear to assent to the
singing as in prayer being heard it is you who
have to sit in the court to assent
it is you who have to sit in a kind of silence.The sound is there to turn inside out: what is
inside is not the bird not the bird but his presence.You have to hear the sound before you play before
there is room to clap you have to hear the sound before
you dance as a candle as a candle-flame as
a flame on the waves with your hair flowed back.The sound is there to turn inside out: what is
inside is not the bird not the bird but his presence.
It is you who have to hear it is you who have to hear it
is you who have to sit under the singing of
the bird it is you who have to sit in
the court of the bird to hear to assent to the singing
to assent as in prayer being heard it is you
who have to sit in the court it
is you who have to sit in a kind of silence in
a silence in which the singing may endure.The sound is there to turn inside out: what is
inside is not the bird not the bird but his presence.Before there is room to clap you have to hear the sound before
you dance as a candle as a flame as
a flame on the waves with your hair flowed
back as a flame on the waves with your throat upturned.The sound is there to turn inside out: what is
inside is not the bird not the bird but his presence.
It is you who have to hear it is you who have to hear it
is you who have to sit under the singing of the
bird it is you who have to sit in
the court of the bird to assent to the singing
as in prayer being heard it is you
who have to sit in a kind of silence in a
kind of silence in which the singing may endure in
which the singing only the singing may endure.The sound is there to turn inside out: what is
inside is not the bird not the bird but his presence.Before there is room to clap you have to hear the sound before
you dance as a candle-flame as a
flame on the waves with your hair flowed back as
a flame on the waves with your throat upturned in the night.The sound is there to turn inside out: what is
inside is not the bird not the bird but his presence.
It is you who have to hear it is you who have to hear it
is you who have to sit under the singing of the bird it is
you who have to sit in the court of
the bird to assent to the singing as prayer
being heard it is you who have to
sit in a kind of silence in a kind of
silence in which the singing may endure in
which the singing only the singing may endure in you.The sound is there to turn inside out: what is
inside is not the bird not the bird but his presence.Before there is room to clap you have to hear the sound before
you dance as a candle-flame as a flame on
the waves with your hair flowed back as a flame with
your throat upturned burning in the night.The sound is there to turn inside out: what is
inside is not the bird not the bird but his presence.
Copyright © 1981 by John Taggart. Slow Song for Mark Rothko first appeared in Bezoar magazine; Inside Out first appeared in Roof magazine. Both were reprinted in the book, Peace on Earth, published by Turtle Island Foundation.
Return to Light and Dust Poets. Go to essays on these poems by Rochelle Ratner and Karl Young from the John Taggart Issue of Paper Air magazine.
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