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I call down and you call up
and nothing’s lost when we pass the cup
you say where and I say when
then we say it together all over again
amen
BALLAD OF ENDURANCE
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One fell through
Smile to the piper
JANE
A body may dance when the firmament
yields
One gave ease
Soften the flesh to ride
the torrent
RIDE JANE!
The galloping ankles are passing
their bondage
One called back
Nestle the echo before
the ending
HURRY JANE!
So much to guard and the pathway
burns
THE INEVITABLE REPRISE
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down by the shore
the muzzled shore
chasing emily’s garter
by the riddled shore
where the willow abides
children this is your station
these are your numbers
this is your baggage for pennies
and music
the music defines
the music denies
by the shore
indisputable shore
emily under the loom of the water
the parliament shore
emily testing the acreage
where the music defines
children this is the route you
may choose
these are the strangers to liven
the way as they fondle your robe
this is the shelter waxed and sealed
by the transient shore
expedient shore
emily over the arc of the meadow
emily counting the foam
where the music denies
children this is the mask you will
share
these are parades you will enter
and own
by the shore
the riddled shore
emily joining the heat of the island
where the willow abides
children this is the gift of our line
slide away
slide away
over the willow
the willow over the music
the music over the shore
down by the shore
the muzzled shore
chasing emily’s garter
while her ribbon cleaves the sun
CELEBRATION II
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Excellent nights in Nancy’s
parlor
AWAKE!
the orb is to be given
AWAKE!
the handiness astounds
I resurrect the blue
AWAKE!
fellows the approaches here
will only match the
leaving
BALLAD OF RETURNING
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Alice in the garden
GONE
and Helen
mistress partridge bold as mint
has taken a breast from the realm
oh the blood is clean
and the wind is fairly even
reach for me SLOWLY
I’ll follow you down
X AS IN 3 A.M.
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Crossing us over on the nickel
in the fur
LOVE---THE DISTANCE!
It is not me who touches words
to still the driving of the moment’s
grace
Our history recedes
BEFORE the page
CELEBRATION I
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Mary among the Ethiopes
PRAISE! Praise!
Mary the tide has found you wanting
Light falls back on the joyful plateau
the sound of many horizons
Where comes this nakedness
these mourning bells in the snow?
MARY MARY your hair
our final dilemma
MARY
ovals fluttering
your hair
your two halves clanging
unloosing
menus
calliopes
silhouettes
trade of the Ethiopes
MARY
all the elements
OF CAPTURE
CONJUGAL OR NEEDY SONG
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Go sell your eight warm roses love
whistling
your demons of life
your tales of dukes and creatures maligned
A perfect gnome on his bench of decision
could never arrange such a basket
such a lure for the shop
SLEEP SONG
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Soon we will all be lovely
The pace of our laugh will astonish valleys
We will succeed at madrigals
In autumn we will roll berries
Our delights will heal
We will meet on silver and touch
‘til the sycamores fold
PEDDLING SONG
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Crying
cards for brooding treated in oil
Crying
velvet clocks with honey designs
Crying
caramel gloves prepared by youth
Crying
hoops of gauze
Crying lemon stoves
WARES! WARES! for you to reconcile
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