Milton Babbitt - Colloquy and Review

[PHILOMEL]
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
Feeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
Feeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeel!
I feel
Feel a million trees
And the heat of trees

{TAPE]
Not true trees
[PHILOMEL]
Feel a million tears

[TAPE]
Not true tears
Not true tears

[PHILOMEL]
Is it Tereus I feel?

[TAPE]
Not Tereus; not a True Tereus

[PHILOMEL]
Feel a million filaments;
Fear the tearing, the feeling
Trees, that are full of felony
Trees tear
And I bear
Families of tears
I feel a million Philomels

[TAPE]
Trees filled with mellowing
Feminine fame
[PHILOMEL]
I feel trees in my hair
And on the ground, vines
Honeymelons fouling
My knees and feet
Soundlessly in my
Flight through the forest;
I founder in quiet
Here I find only
Famine of melody
Miles of felted silence
Unwinding behind me
Lost, lost in the wooded night

[TAPE]
Pillowing melody
Honey unheard

[PHILOMEL]
My hooded voice, lost
Lost, as my first
Unhoneyed tongue;
Forced, as my last
Unfeathered defense;
Fast-tangled in lust
Of these woods so dense
Emptied, unfeeling and unfilled
By trees here where no birds have trilled
Feeling killed
Philomel stilled
Her honey unfulfilled
[TAPE]
Feeling killed
Philomel stilled
Her honey unfulfilled

[PHILOMEL]
What is that sound?
A voice found;
Broken, the bound
Of silence, beyond
Violence of human sound
As if a new self
Could be founded on sound
Oh, men are sick:
The gods are strong
Oh, see! Quick! Quick!
The trees are astounded!
What is this humming?
I am becoming
My own song

[TAPE]
Oh, men are sick:
The gods are strong
Oh, see! Quick! Quick!
The trees are astounded!
What is this humming?
I am becoming
My own song....

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