Peace and Love Songs
for soprano, bass recorder and electronics
(2002)

I. Autumn song (after fragments from Baudelaire and Mark Twain)

All’s dark today
the graves are waiting … anyway
the fall … of night,
no brief delight,
Not home nor breath nor even love
can win my thoughts …
… a nightmare’s horrid aftermath ...

All’s dark tonight,
it seems – say it ! –
a pity , (right ?)
that Noah and his party did
not miss the boat.
All’s dark tonight,
All’s dark today,
so ugly all affairs of human kind.

I love your shadowy eyes, your olive like skin,
Your tender loveliness, but all's dark today.
Not home nor breath nor even love
can win my thoughts from where the sunlight strokes the sea.
… a nightmare - horrid - aftermath

And all seems dark to me.
Just let me lay my head upon your knees: It wont take long …
... all seems dark …

II. “Seeing me” (using motives from Bozidar Milidragovic)

All men,
are always
all men
until one separates
seeing me once
forgetting
everything
just for
me

while the whole world
withdraws from him
to
amidst some indistinct happiness
lunatic
tortures

and has nowhere to go
even when I am
not there
anymore.

III. “Children of fire”

If I would not burn
If you would not burn
If we would not burn
How could we get darkness out from this world?

Make an art of whatever you do.
Once in peace with yourself, … bring it to others …
Like children in the garden of Eden, ...
Make an art of whatever you do.

Each word evokes a song ...

Outer endeavor … inner peace
Outer negligence … inner turmoil
Inner silence … outer song.
Burn ... and make an art of whatever you do.