John Milton Cage: 5 Songs for Contralto (The Lied and Art Song Texts Page: Texts and Translations to Lieder, mélodies, canzoni, and other classical vocal music)


why did you go
little fourpaws?
you forgot to shut
your big eyes.

where did you go?
like little kittens
are all the leaves
which open in the rain.

little kittens who
are called spring,
is what we stroke
maybe asleep?

do you know?or maybe did
something go away
ever so quietly
when we weren't looking.

First published as "V" in Seven Poems, in The Dial, Vol. 68, No. 1, January 1920

2. Little Christmas Tree

Language: English

Authorship

E. E. (Edward Estlin) Cummings (1894-1962)

XLI Poems

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little tree / little silent Christmas tree
 [ ... ]

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3. In Just-

Language: English

Authorship

E. E. (Edward Estlin) Cummings (1894-1962)

Tulips and Chimneys

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in Just-
spring          when the world is mud-
luscious the little
lame balloonman
 
whistles       far         and wee --
 
and eddieandbill come
running from marbles and
piracies and it's
spring
 
when the world is puddle-wonderful
the queer
old balloonman whistles
far       and         wee
and bettyandisbel come dancing
 
from hop-scotch and jump-rope and
 
it's
spring
and
        the
 
                goat-footed
 
balloonMan         whistles
far
                                and
                wee

First published as "IV" in Five Poems, in The Dial, Volume 68 no. 5, May 1920.

4. hist whist

Language: English

Authorship

E. E. (Edward Estlin) Cummings (1894-1962)

Tulips and Chimneys

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hist whist little ghostthings
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5. Another Comes

Language: English

Authorship

E. E. (Edward Estlin) Cummings (1894-1962)

Tulips and Chimneys

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Tumbling-hair picker of buttercups
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