52. Seek (On Arvo Pärt’s “spiegel Im Spiegel”) Poem by Eugene Issaus

I. A river flowing across the grassland
I was walking
no, hardly felt that I was

Soft grass like a green carpet
Was it real

There were trees around
but far away, far away on
the horizon
no, they were emerging
from below

The trees were identical

II. A river flowing across the grassland
I was walking
no, hardly felt that I was
walking to its origin
from where

to its origin
from where the world had begun

III. A river flowing across the grassland
I am walking

I am carrying on my arms
a basket of stones
of various sizes, colours, and shapes

Every now and then
I dropp a stone quietly
beside the river

One, two, three…

IV. For how long have I been walking?

And I never count the stones

V. A river flowing across the grassland
more narrow it becomes, and its
branches emerge from the horizon
beneath the trees
the branches merge

The scene repeats itself
like a dream

I am part of the dream

VI. Where am I?

I look at my basket
Only one stone is left

VII. A stream flowing across the grassland…

As I bend down to place
the last stone beside the stream
it disappears
leaving behind a sand path
(and the stones I left on my way)
celebrating its memory

The shade of the trees on both sides
silently covers the sky

VIII. When the morning comes again
you will be free

(Feb 15)
[Note: written on a Chamber Concert on Feb 10 by Ensemble ad Infinitum]