Anne Waldman: Hopes & Fears

"Hopes & Fears" read by Marianne Faithfull
Hope & fear
            hopes & fears
    you have them

you had them,

hopes & fears you have them

You had them, hopes
    You have them, fears

hopes or fears you had them

you have them

hopes & fears you have them

I won't say no,
            you have them

I will say it plainly you had them
I had them,

hopes & fears I have them

Wake up in the morning:
    fear,
        the clock,
                the day,
                    I had it

Wake up in the afternoon:
    fear,
        the clock,
                quiet,
                    I had it

Fear:
    the night,
            noise,
                the street,
                        I have it

Person beating his body
against a building, I saw it

Fear: he had it
        She has it

Hopes & fears you have them

All the bodies in the morning light:
                        They have it
Wake in the morning:
    fear,
        the clock,
                the day,
                        job.

another person was there,
        he had it

Wake in the afternoon,
    she was gone,
        he had it

This is the most beautiful poem I've stumbled across in years. I've just listened to it being read by Marianne Faithfull in "Gang of Souls" more times then I care to admit.

I'm a little uncertain about the formatting, it's difficult to match exactly how it was presented on the screen, but hopefully I have it fairly close.

Update 5 July 2009: My dad wanted to watch it so I've ripped it from the movie and put Marianne's reading on YouTube.