Jon Woodward

Chamber Music

Players each prepare their own deck
By removing the kings and their choice of
Half of the remaining cards, leaving 24 cards each.
Each player draws the top six cards for her hand.

Each of the four players assumes a role:
Three cormorants together absorb the acting sunlight.
First player to act as sunlight plays from her hand.
Card values from ace to queen correspond to

Twelve tones of a given musical scale. The suits can have
Additional musical meaning as decided by the players.
The cormorants then play in or out of harmony
With their wings spread and drying, a tension

Of movement and stasis. Cards can be played face down
For silence or limit loudness. After the cards are played,
Each player draws replacements from her deck.
Play moves left to the next acting sunlight and cormorants.