Slow Song For Mark Rothko Poem by John Taggart

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.