--candles here and liquor there, child crying in her chair, something falling in my hair, but a good show I must give.--

"Who the hell are you talking to, sugar?"

Oh, no one, no one. Just practicing. I'm next, I think.

--pale angel of the night, hair so black and skin so white, someone's given you a fright, why do you wish to run away?--

"I saw you last week, outside Stick's Bagel Bonanza? You're pretty good. Did Stevie bring you in?"

Yes. I'm next, you know.

"Poor you, having to go on after Chairy Bomb. That's her whole act, sitting there being tragic, wailing about Daddy and ripping off her clothes. I'm Trinette, by the way. My friends call me Trinny."

--Trinny fair, oh Trinny boo, tell me, is your heart untrue? Someone's coming here for you and you must run away.--

I'm Joey. Joey Bell. I'm sorry but I really have go get ready. It was nice to meet you.

"Oh, c'mon, just a few more minutes. I wanna know how you come up with your poetry. You want a coffee? Hey, Lank, a black coffee for Joey Bell here."

--my poems come from in the sky and tell the truth but not the why they make the tough and angry cry and you MUST run away.--

I just... make them up. I really must go backstage and sort out my papers. Thank you for the coffee.

--pale angel grabs my hand, next to her I'm trapped to stand, is this something she has planned? Now I must get away.--

"Let go of her. Trinny, you're coming home with me. NOW."

--Madman coming through the crowd, voice enraged and harsh and loud, Trinny shivers like a cloud when rain is about to fall.--

I'm sorry. I'll just go.

"No. I'm not going anywhere with you. It's over. DONE. I'm tired of you treating me like a child."

Here I go... walking with my bag... he's not moving. Am I trapped?

"Listen, you little brat. I gave you the best eight months of my life and you are NOT going to throw me over for some trashy street guru."

Let me BY!

When the day comes for you to take your place
We will send you a sign, we will show you the way
You are touched, young one
By Our hands.

Earth meets Sky, as shown in your face
Two bright eyes of complex shades
Given you, our child
By Our hands

Let no harm befall the Spring babes
Let no man defile the strength
Raised in you, dear Priestess
By Our hands.

You shall know your own fine son
And he will follow Us in your stead
He will come to you
By Our hands.

But please stay pure of heart and soul
A small command that changes all
Or we must let you go
From Our hands.

--for Amara

The sun shall not rise for you any more, dark one.
you cannot send me back, I am you

You will not tread on this sacred land again.
i will tread where I please, I am yours

Get thee away, this is not your home.
my home is where i choose, you are me

Only those who wear the colors of the Gods
i wear the stains of Their unknown sins

May fall to their knees at Their feet.
and they do not wash off in blessed waters

To the depths of Hell I command you
command me not, we are one

To the darkness within I shall send you
and you will come with me, you see

To the fiery pit I compel you
we shall burn together

And so shall we be cleansed.
and so shall we be cleansed.


--for The Priest

Tooth and claw and darkened skies
What is there behind my eyes?
You can see right through me, but
You cannot have my greatest prize

I am one with you and all
I'm the one who had to fall
I'm the one they chose to take
And I will stay here, yes I shall

Tooth and claw and shining heart
Bits of me in piece and part
Thoughts of you beneath my skin
Showing me the place to start

I am one with everything
I am where the angels sing
You shall find me in the air
Flying in their fiery ring

Tooth and claw and gleaming sun
Here forever I must run
Forget me then, forget me now
In your eyes I remain the one.

--for pickle

In Which Sitka runs across something that is very close to committing the mortal sin of being cuter than she is. We find her in a park, fresh from the debacles at the TV studio and the department store, singing a HAPPPEEE song. As usual.

I got cupcakes, I got sunshine, I got my toes, who could ask for anything more? I think I will go for a walk. Yes, yes, and sleep in the flowers. I've had such a busy day!

Boingy-boing, bouncy-bounce! Um... Hello? Who are you? You're so little and cute and lookit your nose and your floppy ears and wait a second... You're one of those PUPPY things, aren't you? I've heard about those. They're little and cuddly and make funny squeaky sounds when they're hungry, right? You think you're so great, huh? Well, I can do that too.

(Mommy? There's a crazy deer chirping at me.)

You can't outcute ME, puppy. Just because you have a wrinkly face and a stubby little tail and a BIG PINK NOSE oh my goodness you are PRECIOUS! Who's a cute puppy? You are, you are...

(Wilson. My name is Wilson, you nut. Put me down.)

No, I shan't give in! You don't know who you're dealing with, Mister Puppy. I am the Queen of All Things Cute and Sparkly and you will NEVER... did you just sneeze on me?

(put.. me... down. NOW.)

You did! What a cute widdle sneeze! Look at your little pink tongue, licking my face. Oh puppy, how I loves you!

(ow... squeezing my head...)

What? You want to play with my tail? Go ahead, but just little nibble-bits, please.

(finally! I'm gonna get you, crazy lady!)

There you go, and I'll sing you a puppy song while you play so we can be friends! Little teeth little teeth, nipping at my heels, little teeth little teeth, chewing on my tails OUCH!

(told you to back off, lady. One more and I make on your feet.)

We don't want to talk to you anymore
So would you go away?
You tell us how much we hurt you
Which is mean and untrue.

It shouldn't matter what face we wear
or how long we sleep at night
You have no right to tell us how to be
Unless we want you to.

He listens, yes, and he believes
Your tricks and lies and games
But we don't want him to be that way
We don't want to hear you.

Leave us to our simple dreams
Don't come in here, don't say those words
Don't follow us around our home
Just close the door behind you.

We only want good thoughts
And happy times, and love and joy
Please be silent just for one day
And let us live without you.

--for ocean

"Hi! I'm Guer, and I like movies. In fact, I like lots of things. I like pictures and my cool goggles and ham sandwiches with pepper cheese and mushrooms on and kittens. Kittens are fun, so happy and fluffy and I got a memory of a really cute one here, wanna see?

No? Okay. Now, which one of those big camera things... are you sure you don't wanna use mine? No? Okay. Um, yeah, movies! I see lots of movies. I like them because they're moving memories and it's really really fun to see them walking and talking and making things go FOOM! Especially the foom part. I made a otter-mo-beel go foom once, but only because I accidentally tried to use the engine to make pancakes on. Hang on, I think I have a leftover pancake in my bag.

What? I have to talk about the movie? Okay. It's called... um... Watchmakers. But there wasn't anything in there about watches except for one part where a guy was telling some kid how to put one together. No one had to tell me how to put a watch together, I learnt it all by myself. See? It's a pretty watch, on a chain and all. I wear it everywhere because I can't always remember when I'm supposed to be where. Like today I was here right on time because I have my watch that I put together myself.

And I remember one day... what? Oh, that. Um, there was a guy who thought he was a bird, but there are lots of birds where I come from who know they're birds and THEY don't need a funny round earship to get anywhere, they just use their wings. I got a really nice memory of a bird sitting on a deer with a bunch of candles on his head. I don't know if the bird ever caught on fire or not but the deer didn't like me taking his memory without asking him. He chased me straight into a pond and I almost lost my goggles!

if we were to do the Ballet as a site-specific work. It's called Laumeier Sculpture Park and it's less than five miles away from our house!


Check out them wings!


A big open space to dance and play in...


Which Path will you take... the Path of Needles? Or the Path of Pins?


I'm sure there are quite a few deer in the Forest who would LOVE to climb this.


And here, we will rest and have cupcakes and various fruity drinks and then a good nap.

Um... hello, I'm new here in this big world.
Can you show me around a bit, please?
Can I follow you for a little while?
Just a little while, until I go to sleep.
And can I ask you things?
One or two questions, that is all.

I think I like the purple flowers best
But the red flowers sing in the wind.
Can you hear them? I can.
I guess because I'm new here.
Does everything sing in this place?
Maybe that's why I get sleepy.

The big statue at the end of the Pond
Always seems so lonely to me.
Can we go there, please?
I want to talk to him a bit.
I think he needs a friend or two
Just like I do.

Am I asking you too much?
I just want to understand it all!
Who made the birds and the frogs
And the squirrels and the trees
And us? Are we dreams here
or are we really real like the sky?
Can I dance with you?

Will you stay with me in the flower patch
Until I fall asleep?
I felt quite safe with you today
And I just want to find my way
I don't mean to ask too much
But I'm new here in this big world.

--for Blacksoul

In Which Sitka decides to find a new toy and meets a film legend.
We continue with our spirited heroine leaving the TV studio and heading down the street to the local department store on her quest to add to her collection of things that make her HAPPPEEE.


Llama doll, llama doll, oh llama llama llama LLAMA DOLL! BOOP! Ba-dum-dum-dum...

"Welcome to S Mart, how may I help you?"

Ooooh. Handsome. Big chin, black hair... kinda smells like old hay though. Wonder why he's got that big shiny glove--SHINY!

"Err... can I help you with anything?"

I can see my face in the shiny glove! Ugh. What did they do to my face back there? I look like a clown! But clowns are supposed to be fun, right? I'm so confused. Gotta get this stuff OFF.

"Hey. Um, why are you rubbing up against me like that? Don't make me put you out of the store. Would you please stop? You're leaving makeup on my last clean shirt!"

Ahh. Better. I look like ME again! Now to find a new friend. Bouncy bounce, down the way I go. Oh, handsome is coming with me! He looks grumpy. I wonder if my book is here, then he can read it and feel better. And I think my new friend is down--THERE.

"Come back here, you're making a mess! Stop... bouncing... around like that! You're trashing Housewares and I don't want to get my... pay... docked again!"

Whee! We're playing Tag! He comes close and tries to get me and I just bouncy bounce away. This is much more fun than the other grumpy guy who just sat there and asked me silly questions. I wonder where all those crashing noises are coming from?

"Security? No, it's not an old hag this time. It's a deer. No, I'm not kidding. Just get up here."