The life and knowledge of God may doubtless
be described as love playing with itself;
but this idea sinks into triviality, if the
seriousness, the pain, the patience and the
labor of the Negative are omitted.
—Hegel


I. Brisk, with energy, but not too much


O Alma, Almschili, Amaschel, Almschi, Almscherl —

the dream
does not know
the word
“no”

Alma Mahler

O Alma! Mater! O Cybele!
Jubilate!


II. Moderately slow


“When we’re alone for a time we achieve
a unity with ourselves and nature…

we become positive
(instead of stuck in negation)
and finally productive

the commonplace takes us farther and farther
from ourselves
but we are brought back to ourselves
by solitude,
and from ourselves to God
is only a step.

Yes, I am lost to the world
with which I used to waste much time.

I live alone in my heaven,
in my love, in my song.”


the cowbells
on the hills

are far
below


III. Scherzo


one potato two potato
three potato four

so, off the floor
out the door

to grandfather’s
flowers
by the lake-
shore

little girl, that man
is Frankenstein, not your
grandfather

one potato two potato
three potato four,

Mister?


IV. Finale


It is the hero
on whom fall
three blows of fate,

the last of which
fells him
as a tree is
felled.

“He was a tree
in full leaf
and flower.”