the choral sections at the beginning and end of the piece
were edited by Keith Jafrate
from recordings made on 31 October 2003

the texts were written on 31 October 2003
and 1 November 2003
and selected for performance by Mary Oliver

mary oliver: vocals
matthew bourne: keyboard
keith jafrate: tenor saxophone
david kane: bass

I have been shallow and deep
and cold and loud
I have been casket to a million souls
I have been bright and playground
to the world’s children
I have been still as the mill
and angry as red
I turn your metals green
and the tumble of waves crash onto the shingle
and the ripple of sail turns into the wind
I remember sunburn brought on by your closeness
I remember sand in sandwiches
and in kisses

blue could be many things
blue could be
blue could be whatever you want it to be
blue sky
blue sea
blue lid on my knee
blue spectacles can see everything as blue

blue can be good
blue can be bad
blue will be good
hopefully not dad

I am the sea
I am powerful
I am strong
I am blue
I am a bouncy ball

the mist in the morning
blue pool sitting
as a dark cool sea

huts guarding an isolated late day bay

DASH
DASH

I think we should like make like a barrier like about like ten metres away from the shore so like children can swim but when people like put rubbish not like a metal barrier like a sieve so when people put rubbish it wouldn’t actually go into the sea

                                                         go to pray to the sea

the waves bash against the rocks
and I see the dolphins whoosh over the sea

                                                         go to pray to the sea

it’s for all living creatures that live in the sea so
people don’t want them to die so
they invented sea for about loads of years

                                                         go to pray to the sea