Sea Change
Libretto by Livia Sevier (from a dream)
 

Seeing him, she remembered he had the skill

To disappear sometimes

She had to tell him

‘Disappear if things get bad’


And a man was getting everything ready

Taking things upstairs

And a woman was getting everything ready

Taking things upstairs

An upper room prepared.


Now let’s go up

And they went up the stairs

The boy and girl

Pausing on landings

Paralysed by fear if they stopped

Stopping at corners

Moving slowly

Going into this trap of niceness

That could be their death

They didn’t say anything

She had warned him

He could keep a secret

It was affecting what they saw

Up into the room, people there

A band ready to play

Look outside

Our favourite people have come

Candles

It was a gently celebration

And as I circled the house, the Christmas banners

Changing the vision of this ugly house into beauty


And the woman said

‘I wanted it to be clear that this is a new start

When trust has been broken

It changes the eyesight

Even the good seems bad

Coming into the new in so much fear that it looks like death

Only through this journey

Can the threat of death evaporate

Into safe haven of life

An upper room has been prepared.




  
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