Issuu

Mirror

I am silver and exact. I have no preconceptions.

Whatever I see I swallow immediately

Just as it is, unmisted by love or dislike.

I am not cruel, only truthful--

The eye of a little god, four-cornered.

Most of the time I meditate on the opposite wall.

It is pink, with speckles. I have looked at it so long

I think it is part of my heart. But it flickers.

Faces and darkness separate us over and over.

Now I am a lake. A woman bends over me,

Searching my reaches for what she really is.

Then she turns to those liars, the candles or the moon.

I see her back, and reflect it faithfully.

She rewards me with tears and an agitation of hands.

I am important to her. She comes and goes.

Each morning it is her face that replaces the darkness.

In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old woman

Rises toward her day after day, like a terrible fish.

29 October 1961

Shawn KirchnerSylvia Plath

    Copyright © 2013 by Shawn Kirchner Publishing, with permission by Faber and Faber Ltd. and the Estate of Sylvia Plath. Licensed copies available through www.ShawnKirchner.com Triangle Vibraphone Piano Matter-of-factly e=152 mpppmpp I mp amsilver-andexact.- Ihavenoprecon-cep-tions.- Whatev-er-I I mp amsilver-andexact.- Ihavenoprecon-cep-tions.- Whatev-er-I                      

     S,A 33   T,B 33                                                                             PERUSAL ONLY

      mppmppp 3 seeIswallow-imme-diate-ly-Justasitis,unmist-ed-byloveordislike.- Iamnot seeIswallow-imme-diate-ly-Justasitis,unmist-ed-byloveordislike.- Iamnot mp 7 cruel,only-truthful- the the eye eye of of a a lit lit tle tle god, god, fourcor fourcornered. nered. cruel, only-truthful- theeye... ...fourcor-nered.cruel, only-truthful- theeye... ...fourcor-nered.cruel,only-truthful- the the eye eye of of a a lit lit tle tle god, god, fourcor four cor nered. nered.                                  33 3 3 3   3    3   3 3 3 3 3                                                                                                                                                                                                                   2 PERUSAL ONLY

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p p 15 I pp havelookedatit solongI mp thinkitispartofmyheart. Butitflick ers. I mp havelookedatit solong Ithinkitispartofmyheart.Butitflick er(s.) I pp havelookedatit solongI mp thinkitispartofmyheart.Butitflick er(s.) I mp havelookedatit solong Ithinkitispartofmyheart. Butitflick ers.                                               3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3   33333   33333    33333   33333          3 3 3 3 3 3   333333   333333    333333   333333                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            3 PERUSAL ONLY

    mpmpmp <q=q.> Just slightly slower, rubato 18 Fac mp es-anddarkness-sepa-rate-us ov mf er-andover.Fac mp es-anddarkness-sepa-rate-us ov mf er-andover.mf f Poco allarg. Expansive 23 Flowing q. = c. 63 27 f                                                                          long pedals                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         4 PERUSAL ONLY

This page has been intentionally deleted to protect the copyright of this score. To purchase, please visit: ShawnKirchner.com SKPublishing I II III II III II III II III II III II III II III II III

     43 is. Thensheturnstothose liars, f thecandles-orthemoon. is. Thensheturnstothose liars, f thecandles-orthemoon. Iamalake. Iamalake. mpf 47 I mf seeherback,andreflect-itfaithful-ly...I mf seeherback,andreflect-itfaithful-ly...mf                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   6 PERUSAL ONLY

         ff 50 She ff rewards-mewithtears and f anagi-ta-tion-ofhands. She ff rewards-mewithtears and f anagi-ta-tion-ofhands. ff mfmp Tempo primo e= 152 55 mfpp mfpp ppmpppmpp 59 I mp amimport-ant-toher. Shecomesandgoes.Eachmorn lazy sixteenths ing -itis I mp amimport-ant-toher. Shecomesandgoes.Eachmorn lazy sixteenths ing -itis                                                                                                             S,A   3   T,B   3                                                                                                                                                                                                                  7 PERUSAL ONLY

ayounggirl,

      62 herface thatreplac-es-thedarkness.p ultra smooth Inmeshehas drowned pp ayounggirl, herface thatreplac-es-thedarkness.p ultra smooth Inmeshehas drowned pp

herface thatreplac-es-thedarkness.p ultra smooth Inmeshehas drowned pp ayounggirl, herface thatreplac-es-thedarkness.p ultra smooth Inmeshehas drowned pp ayounggirl, ppmf 66 Andinmeanold wo p man-Ris mpmf es toward Andinmeanold wo p man-Ris es, mf risAndinmeanold wo p man-Ris es, mf risAndinmeanold wo p man-Ris mpmf es toward ppmf      333   333    333   33 3     33    3     3    33                                                                                                                                                                                                                   8 PERUSAL ONLY

    pp 72 mfpp mp her day p after-day,likeater ri-ble-fish. es,ris ris es es -toward toward her her day day p af af ter ter day, day, likeater ri-ble-fish. es,ris ris es es toward toward her her day day p af af ter ter day, day, likeater ri-ble-fish. mfmp her day p after-day,likeater ri-ble-fish. pp        3 3   3 3     3 33333   3  333    3  333   333333                                                                                                                                       9 PERUSAL ONLY