was iris

cast –
long jawed spider  
chorus
catbird/blue flag iris
george
oro and pablo                                        
mulan
perdida

                            
long jawed spider –
i walk and weave
over by water offering
streaming silver
to suns and moons
 
chorus –
they find places 
pools in circles fountain
pipe stone maple lily
berry hyacinth reeds
 
long jawed spider –
high wire to darkness and daylight
stepping here
 
chorus –
or there or here
stoneflies midges
whir tapped waiting web
eight times many hands unfold
 
long jawed spider –
i sail into shade
over this pool
then evening
odd to see catbird just there close
 
chorus –
they poise eight stringed
breathing kite
 
catbird –
you would pass here
undetected
 
long-jawed spider –
i am a traveler
offering silk

catbird –
hide your prayers well
earthbound
walking in air over water
you become me in moonlight
 
chorus –
when ice begins
to still the dew
 
catbird –
i will
mind your prayer
 
chorus –
so it flies away
and into a tall magnolia
 
 
long-jawed spider –
now this night
dew bejewelled
i am not hungry at all
but thirsty
 
chorus –
they pass around the water
back and forth
unencumbering
a leaf falling in gentle wind
 
long-jawed spider –
here in the bush
over a wet stone wall
reeds near the algae
probed by fish
 
a maple
where nothing lands
under the fringe tree
in blackening ginger leaves
 
chorus –
eight are the places
for cloud-like sacs
 
long-jawed spider –
as suddenly as i thought it
catbird perches close
 
chorus –
they stretch their legs
straight out in front and behind
 
catbird –
summer was good to you
and to me
 
chorus –
now the story
of two hundred thousand moons
they stand up stretching
wings outspreading
 
catbird –
you do not see me crouch
as i launch into the air
all around you
soaring but not moving
 
long-jawed spider –
my prayer has summoned
blue flag iris
 
catbird –
now I fall like
light into the pond
 
chorus –
so much breathing sun
lighting dark space
feathers radiate
dissipate
 
falling like fire works
into murky water
sinking floating coalescing
luiminesce
 
blue flag iris –
with the roar of a fire unheard
i swim near the surface
 
chorus –
their luminescence flows
thru one fish two others and next
 
george –
i am ghost-like
many shades of our moon
i am iris 
first sprouting
 
blue flag iris –
from earth to air
edge of small water
large forest
just lovely now in always
 
oro and pablo –
i am fiery silver gold
i am bold dabs black orange
we animate as one
swaying blue in green sea
 
blue flag iris –
what beyond woodland
in forever mostly empty place
 
mulan –
I am all colors
of every fish
watch closely
every lumen bursting fading
 
blue flag iris –
life of eight thousand flowers
as catbird we might see
 
perdida –
i am mostly black mostly white
i leap from the surface
as blue flag iris
shimmer into new morning shadows
 
blue flag iris –
flying as catbird we see
once is something never lost
just once woodland flowers
consume you spider
 
chorus –
they shake the web
a glowing drum
flower of smoke spiraling
something that was here
 
long-jawed spider –
is gone
yet i remain earthbound
 
chorus –
orb weaver sac spinner
wind flute sunlight eater
 
blue flag iris –
our fading blue song
grey wings dark eyes
exhalation toward
swirl of stars

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