On Life And Death

Choreography: Ahab, dancing on life and death with the unmistakable sound of the wooden (ivory) leg against his other living limb during breaks in the music.

ISHMAEL

WITH ONE LEG LIVE AND ONE LEG DEAD,

OLD AHAB WALKS WHERE OTHERS FLED.

OH, THE STORMS, TAKING US FURTHER TO UNKNOWN SHORES.

ON LIFE AND DEATH, THIS OLD MAN WALKED,

THE LIVE LEG ECHOED WHAT THE OTHER LEG STALKED.

NOW WATCHING ENDLESS NIGHTS OF WIND AND RAIN,

FOR MOBY DICK WHO STOLE HIS VERY SOUL.

WITH RAIN AND SLEET UPON HIS FACE,

OLD AHAB GAZED WITH ASPECT GREAT,

OH THE SEAS, LURKING THERE MOBY NOW MUST BE SEIZED.

THE SPIRITS VISIT  EV’RYONE WITH VISIONS WHITE

AS THEY DO COME HOLD THE LINES,

SURGING WAVES CRASHING ON BOARD.

BURSTING, THIRSTING, TEARING, BEARING,

ON WE SEEM TO GO O’ER LIQUID LAND FORGOTTEN LONG AGO.

WE SEE HIM YES WE SEE HIM NOT,

WITH BOATS AND HARPOONS READY WE’VE GOT.

WHERE IS HE? WHERE IS THE GREAT, GREAT MOBY?

THE BODY WAS TAUT AS AHAB SLEPT,

HIS EYES OPEN SOUGHT WHAT HIS HEART KEENLY KEPT, SO FORLORN.

AND THROUGH THE BLACK WE SAW THE WHITE,

THE SPIRIT SPOUT TAUNTING AND VAUNTING OUT OF SIGHT.

OH THE SEAS! OH THAT THEY COULD APPEASE.