John Taggart - "Slow Song" & "Inside Out"  

  • Slow Song for Mark Rothko

    and

  • Inside Out

    by

    John Taggart

     


     

    Slow Song for Mark Rothko

     

    1

    To 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 ease

    To 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 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 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.

     

     

     

     


    Inside Out

    1

    You 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.

    Return to Top.

    Light and Dust Mobile Anthology of Poetry.