Spirits

for 2 voices: bass Stefan Szkafarowsky, bass-baritone Adrian Rosas, and Bb cl

 

Lyrics by Justin Ahren. Part of the “Key West Reverie” night long event “Key West Reverie” by Wendy Taucher the Lead Creative Artist. Music of this piece by Ileana Perez Velazquez.

What has the moon buried

With the aid of the tide, dragged

To the depths of the ocean

And fed the hungry coral mouths?

 

We call through the wind and shells

Have you heard the lonely and forgotten,

do you hear the missing, calling

 

Remember. Remember

you sing for us

up and out of our shoeless feet

we who held you, blessed you.

who delivered you language,

Through the songs of small birds,

 

The voices beyond

the plunging sea, scuttling beneath the wind

wracking the palms, in the morning

in the wrack line of fish and weed,

nets, crabs, bottles, and the hull of a boat.

 

We who held you, blessed you

the middens upon which you live

build and love are proof

the force of the insaciable hunger

at sunset

We who held you, blessed you

and kissed with salt

 

Has escuchado al solitario y olvidado

voces mas alla del mar

hablamos a traves del sol y las conchas

a traves de esponjas y tortugas

Recuerda

las voces mas alla del mar

hundiendo bajo el viento atroz

en las palmas, en la mañana

te abrazamos, bendecimos, los pies desnudos

 

What has the moon buried

with the aid of the tide

dragged to the depth of the ocean

and fed the hungry choral mouth

 

This is how you touch the beginning,

come closest to where song begins,

your voice singing, “here’,

I am here. See me, what I’ve made of you.’

our cry Can be heard.

our vessel bodies

drifting away

fading into the night.