Octavate

from Songs For Samuel by Norah Vincent & Vern Woodhead

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lyrics

OCTAVATE

The Eastern integers
Of one through eight,
Migration spread in faiths
Bound up in languages.
In Occitan,
The tongue of troubadours,
Both “nine” and “new” are nòu.

In German nein is “no,”
In French, Neuf also means “new.”
Dante counted Beatrice
As the Trinity times three,
And his Vita Nuova
Enlivened her nine anew.

NINE AND ZERO
THE FINISH TO START
THE JOURNEY MADE AGAIN
FROM ONE TO EIGHT
PROCREATION INTEGRATES IN DEATH

THE CIRCLE’S TWAINS ARE TIED
IN SHAPES OF SPERM AND EGG
MALE AND FEMALE FOLD TOGETHER
VANISH INTO LIFE

MOTHER, FATHER, CHILD
THIS BRAIDING CHAIN OF BEING
PASSES GENES IN EVERY BIRTH
TO GHOSTS IN NEW MACHINES

Zero
Greek god of the west wind,
Is the Arab cipher’s
Sounding air
Whistling through O-mega.
The Taoist chi’s
Resonating o(h)ms
Spin the dharma wheel
Whose empty center breathes.

The spirit wind of Jahweh
That once inspired
Unmoving molds of clay
Is standing still in spires
Whose topping stilts of
Skyward breath
Uplift the stones of church.

NINE AND ZERO
THE FINISH TO START
THE JOURNEY MADE AGAIN
FROM ONE TO EIGHT
PROCREATION INTEGRATES IN DEATH

THE CIRCLE’S TWAINS ARE TIED
IN SHAPES OF SPERM AND EGG
MALE AND FEMALE FOLD TOGETHER
VANISH INTO LIFE

MOTHER, FATHER, CHILD
THIS BRAIDING CHAIN OF BEING
PASSES GENES IN EVERY BIRTH
TO GHOSTS IN NEW MACHINES

credits

from Songs For Samuel, track released October 12, 2019
Words: Norah Vincent
Music: Vern Woodhead
Vocals: Vern Woodhead
Guitars: Vern Woodhead
Bass: Dmitry Ishenko
Drums: Rob Mitzner
Mix: Charles Burst

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Norah Vincent & Vern Woodhead New York, New York

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