The Rose & The Railway: of Yeats & Nõ Being & Blooming on Line

by sylvi macCormac

Aural Shadows

like ships that should never pass
lines that would never cross
cousins that could never kiss
from opposite sides of the tracks
with theremin on the radio
you are beautiful and gone
with breezes off the water
and the train slowing down
i was going to bring you a book of yeats
from the bookstore down the street
no realizing our hearts might never meet

we are our mothers daughters
and our fathers child
down by the water side
forever wild
like ships that should never pass
lines that would never cross
cousins that could never kiss
from opposite sides of the tracks
then why is our baby girl
more than ten years old
forever greater
than any gold

and do you still read that book of yeats
from the tower down the street
the one i gave you long ago
so our hearts might meet
were we just some aural shadows
through the sky
as upwords
shooting stars go by

like ships that should never pass
lines that would never cross
cousins that could never kiss
from opposite sides of the tracks
with dripsody on the radio
we are here and then gone
with breezes off the water
and the train slowing down

Theremin - electronic musical instrument which responds to movements of hands, inventor Leon Termen (1920's Russia)

Dripsody - composition with sounds of water drops by Hugh LeCaine, electronic synthesis pioneer (1955 Canada)