The Swann
An excerpt featuring Martin Hargrove and Tesia Kwarteng.
This duet highlights Swann’s relationship to his patron saint, the Yoruban deity Oshun, his journey to embracing his lineage in humanity and the role his life will play in laying the groundwork for those who will come after.
SWANN
So pretty.
I ain’t never know’d nobody pretty as you.
OSHUN
What about you?
SWANN
If I ain’t had these dresses, and my own way of seein’ things, my whole world would be ugly as me.
OSHUN
(Spoken) Truth is, your body was not enough.
It was slow to stand as a man.
Taste the divinity of your inhabitance!
OSHUN
Awaken her.
(Oshun gently removes Swann’s wig and caresses his temples. Throughout this duet is an exchange of intimate touch between Oshun and Swann as they explore the power of his body)
Eyes shine, fixed in time.
Loose weave of decimated drapes crawling over your demise.
Try, try, try to get behind
SWANN
The soft glow.
OSHUN
What your shoulders know.
Cup your breasts to stir.
SWANN
Awaken her.
OSHUN
Awaken her.
OSHUN
Mark the dark, nudging close.
Girlish plump, tree trunk thighs fall behind the fray and stay far away from slur.
SWANN
Awaken her.
OSHUN
Excavation of salt rouged places where traces of himself become her.
SWANN
Beautiful, the whole and part me with every certainty.
SWANN
All I know, a rustic path.
House of stairs where an iron arch of symbols and signs became mine.
Signs to pique my interest.
Stars and things.
Secret curves.
Something else to learn.
They say Haitians built that gate.
Forged with their own hands there on that land or maybe Africans.
All I know was it was there that iron cross of centuries.
Not for Jesus just for me.
That cross built for me.
Symbols like nothing I had ever seen.
OSHUN
Ontological mystery.
No he, no she but what has always been.
SWANN
The ancient truth of me.
Water, fertility
An ancient place in me
This is my body
This is mine
OSHUN
Water fertility.
A woman’s sensuality
Jealousy and Vanity
HOUSE
Water, fertility
SWANN
This is my body
This is mine
Which you have built for me
OSHUN
Can you see?
SWANN
….built for me
HOUSE
Water, fertility
OSHUN
Not the enemy.
The glistening blue of rivers and streams
White, Yellow, Coral offerings….
SWANN
Neither he
Neither she
OSHUN
..but as you were meant to be
Come to me
Come to me
Come to me