Jan Garbarek in Rome

And so you see him there, on the criss-crossed marble
dark eyes out of the north
making northern music
white light, white wind, white grass

and the air
upwards
so frail a colour the sky might break

And you see Augustus turn to Livia, say
what talent the man has
there for the summoning,
look at it, look

(you can see Brian Blessed delivering the line)

And so he stands on the marble
the sky in his eyes
the whole sky in his eyes

and at his feet, as he looks down

the stones of exile rasping,
skin on skin.





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© 1998
M. F. McAuliffe