DESCRIPTION:
Lyrics / poetry by Antonia McMaster

The ensemble is:

Amy Mills - electronics / direction
Mitski Miyawaki - Voice
Siv Brun Lie - Viola
Caley Monahon-Ward - Violin
Kelly Moran - Piano
Kevin Wunderlich - Guitar
Bennett Eiferman - Drums

The text by Antonia is as follows:

-A Withholding-

Chin to chest,
I fasten myself
To the unholy edge.
Somewhere below me a womb
Quakes, but it is only a distance
Or a gate.

Sometimes I drink deep
The dream that I am more
Than utterance:
A withholding, a man, or
a sharp tooth.
I eat cow-heel, liver, and crow.

Or am I the woman
Who steals the meat,
Cross-eyed, heaving.
I wrap my own itching chilblains,
And swelling back.
Look, red is the most beautiful.
Red is what hides.

Silent fool, little dream,
I wear a backboard,
An iron collar.
I avoid the chintz room.
If you saw me
From your green garret,
You would never believe
I was born as you were.