STORY 1 — do

Be that as it may, as I was saying, – know what I mean? – at the end of the day – know what I mean? – at the end of the day, you have to do what you do – know what I mean? – there’s nothing more you can do, is there?, nothing at all, at the end of the day – know what I mean? – you have to do what you do, you cannot do more, can you?, you have to do what you do – know what I mean? – I mean, there’s nothing at all, at the end of the day – know what I mean? – at the end of the day, you have to do what you do – know what I mean?



STORY 2 — life

If you think about it, life, if you think about it, think about it, if you think about it, when you think about it, life, life, life, when you think about it, when you think about it, would you think about it?, life, life, life, life, life, life, life, life, life, life, if you think about it, if we think about it, if you think about it, life, life, if you think about it, life, if, life...



STORY 3 — snow

That it may bring, that it may bring, that bring, that it may bring, that it may bring, that it may snow white snow, that it may bring, that bring, that it bring, that bring, bring, that it may snow white snow, that it bring, that it may bring



STORY 4 — words

words
words
words
words words words
words
words
words
words
words
words
words
words
words
words
words
words
words



STORY 5 — numbers

What is one to the power of one take away two, take away one hundred and eleven, take away two to the power of one point one with the addition of two to the power of threescore thousand, take away two thousand and one, take away fifty one million to the power of sixteen thousand, take away thirty dozen times twelve, times one, take away half a thousand times ten thousand, take away a half to the power of a half divided by point seven, times two point three three eight nine three, times ten, take away forty thousand millions, take away four and a half?



STORY 6 — a piece of music

You hear this bell, and then a voice is heard: the trumpet, sounding the high scale of dream lands. This voice’s first note bears a gentle accord of winds, which change to a march, slow. The third time the winds do this the subject is ‘Songs of the Moon’. A double second may take the wind higher, but kettledrum and trumpet burst in with the ground set: A–Do–A–As. Waves follow, and you hear fast stars and strange roots. From records the set will come again, heard fast. The set’s notes drift nearer, and a slight sound closes the phrase.

Enter a music pale and piteous. Then we hear the set above a fast lightness, this time the set backward. The piece is moving to A natural, and in the wind a second row is heard, above the general set. Lines in the wind fall, crash and thunder. Pause. Low down we hear sixteen play a monstrous organ. Again a pause.

Whips fly, and love music. Bells in quick lines mirror the set, and you hear a pipe sound the fall of a second. Rock music. Recorders recover the harmony. The organ will enter upon highest A sharp , with the strings below. You hear the set in compound time, with flame music in the wind. There is a discord, strong but smooth. Pause.

All the wind speed the set to a march in a bastard scale, after which the wind again play melodious folk songs. To lead the wind comes the trumpet (and bell) to sing requiem, and a treble voice. All now is memory.



STORY 7 — it seems I should remember what to say

It seems I should remember what to say,
But in my mind I hear strange troubles speak
And I, concealed in silence, shall not play;
The trumpet here will call, I am too weak.
What can I say that will not be a lie?
My words, I will say this, are not my own,
I mouth the lines, and see them as they die:
A life of puppets by the wind is blown.
My words could I reword and not repent?
This bad begins, and worse remains behind:
No means I have to show you how I meant
Another woman of another kind.
In shapes and sorts and swords I did my best,
I let the audience act and tell the rest.

- texts from Paul Griffiths' "Hamlet Stories"