lyrics
One bright day high up in the forest of the mountain, he saw a creature in a white linen dress wading into a fast stream. He thought the creature was drowning herself, so he called after her.
She stepped out of the river, before making her way to him in swaying, serpentine motions. He asked who she was.
“The clepsydra,” she said, each syllable like the soft drip of an icicle.
The hunter rubbed his eyes; disconsolate, he'd been trekking the mountainside for days with barely any sleep, so he didn't trust himself with delineating truth from dream. He repeated his question.
The clepsydra's voice was soothing as a rushing brook. “I know what it is you want,” she gurgled, ignoring his question. “And I know what it is you need to escape. But I'm not telling.” She studied him through lifeless marble eyes, the smooth eyes of a statue.
He tried to grip her by the shoulders, but his hands slipped on wet skin.
“You've been subordinate to this world for so long, you don't see it for what it is, you don't dare touch it, don't dare change it in your mind, turn it inside-out.” She blinked. “Or upside-down. And you still don't know what you are. Of what you are capable.” She giggled behind her hand, dribbling water. Then she looked into his eyes, “What are you?”
The hunter told her.
“Close.” She began to walk toward the river again. Her movement was elegant, a gliding, almost, and the hunter could see no feet beneath the lace hem of her dress. At the river she bent down, said, “But not quite,” and drank. When she straightened up, she spat the water in his face. “Look at me,” she said, “and you will know,” and she jumped into the river, her dress becoming foam, her skin water.
One moment was enough to lose her from sight. He leaned over—look at me—and peered into the deep blue water—look—and could see, despite the frothing of the waves—look at me—his own ageless face, pale, strange—and you will know—and he saw a sadness with no beginning nor end flicker over it, untouched by the water which passed beneath his reflection, and the world, behind him, mirrored.
She stepped out of the river, before making her way to him in swaying, serpentine motions. He asked who she was.
“The clepsydra,” she said, each syllable like the soft drip of an icicle.
The hunter rubbed his eyes; disconsolate, he'd been trekking the mountainside for days with barely any sleep, so he didn't trust himself with delineating truth from dream. He repeated his question.
The clepsydra's voice was soothing as a rushing brook. “I know what it is you want,” she gurgled, ignoring his question. “And I know what it is you need to escape. But I'm not telling.” She studied him through lifeless marble eyes, the smooth eyes of a statue.
He tried to grip her by the shoulders, but his hands slipped on wet skin.
“You've been subordinate to this world for so long, you don't see it for what it is, you don't dare touch it, don't dare change it in your mind, turn it inside-out.” She blinked. “Or upside-down. And you still don't know what you are. Of what you are capable.” She giggled behind her hand, dribbling water. Then she looked into his eyes, “What are you?”
The hunter told her.
“Close.” She began to walk toward the river again. Her movement was elegant, a gliding, almost, and the hunter could see no feet beneath the lace hem of her dress. At the river she bent down, said, “But not quite,” and drank. When she straightened up, she spat the water in his face. “Look at me,” she said, “and you will know,” and she jumped into the river, her dress becoming foam, her skin water.
One moment was enough to lose her from sight. He leaned over—look at me—and peered into the deep blue water—look—and could see, despite the frothing of the waves—look at me—his own ageless face, pale, strange—and you will know—and he saw a sadness with no beginning nor end flicker over it, untouched by the water which passed beneath his reflection, and the world, behind him, mirrored.
credits
from Garden,
released May 25, 2017
license
all rights reserved
tags
about
Kalpamantra UK
Dark ambient digital
label, circa 2009.
discography
-
Mar 2022 -
Nov 2021 -
Jun 2018 -
Dec 2017
contact / help
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