Shakespeare In Paradise
for Dana J. Ferguson

i.
Peggy

do you want to be looked at
when you make your steps
when you make your way

do you want admiring eyes, interested eyes
to follow you, to want you

or do you want to inspire disinterestedness
when you make your steps, make your moves

when your body moves
do you wish it to speak nothing
to marvel at, to listen to

ii.
Vanessa

like when she is giving off sparks
like when sparks are flying off her

when she is happy, enjoying herself
enjoying her day

like when she is enjoying life
and I can enjoy it with her
inspired with her, inspired by her

season when she is in song
when birds are singing
because of what time of year it is

that time of year can anytime dawn
when we are together in song, in joy
in love

iii.
Lisa

he is black and I am white
I am young and he is old

I want him nonetheless to hold me
he and I, I think can hold together
can cohere as what is one does
as what is one can do

he is black and I am white
he is old and I am young

I want us to be one
I want two to be one

one night of this, of bliss to start with
to see if we exist, if we could last

someplace to start our beating hearts
our hearts beating

two drums, one music
duet of him and me

soprano and tenor in song

iv.
the note, the not,
the knock, the knot
of Junkanoo

junka no
yes to junkanoo,
no to Junkanoo

yes to you, to me,
no to you, to me

to beat, to be,
to meet, to me

v.
Dana

my minute with her
in heaven while it lasted

I myself had been wondering
was she of this realm or made of air

after The Tempest, after the play
discover she is flesh and blood
and I can hardly believe it

know it
with an arm about her
lifted her off her feet

weighed her
felt her weight, the sweet of it

this will remain in memory
will sustain me, uplift me

what an apparition
come to life, made to be
come into being

I know no moment
no thing in art
more beautiful
than Ariel she played this evening
on stage at The Dundas

it will be playing, she will be playing
in me always

like my blood going round
like my beating heart

like me breathing air until I stop
until I drop

and when I do, again
she'll give me wings

she's in my veins

vi.
air and water and light to delight in
perfect mix, perfect mixture of these

measure them correctly
to make a meal, a drink
to heal us when ill
or to keep from becoming ill
keep illness away, at bay

with air, water and light
white and silver and gold
or nearly

how the weight of these vary

when weary,
a different combination
of light, water and air
to go to bed, to get to sleep

add music to light, water, air
add color

the colors of the sea added
though these are not there

color of sky, color of air
color of flowers, color of feathers
color of hair

I like the things
light enough to pass through
to pass into

a wall you or I or we
could only walk into

angry wind though able to uproot
overturn, undo

what we put up, put down

put Mozart's music upon a staff
for the staff, for the orchestra
to perform

an audience has assembled
and will be entertained
will be carried away

no apology or excuse will do
craft, art to carry us all
to kingdom come

vii.
Angela's birthday to celebrate
abroad with her boys

angels' birthday to celebrate
with song, with singing
in heaven

songs in heaven, songs on earth
mingle like grapes, make wine


© Obediah Michael Smith, 2009
written between 6:15 p.m.
Saturday October 10, 2009
and 7:39 a.m. Sunday,
October 11, 2009