Orchids

"Orchids" is the first song in Ned Rorem's song set Two Poems of Theodore Roethke.

Date: 1969Composer: Ned RoremText: Theodore RoethkeSong Collection: Two Poems of Theodore Roethke

Print vitals & song text

Text

Orchids
by Theodore Roethke

They lean over the path,
Adder-mouthed,
Swaying close to the face,
Coming out, soft and deceptive,
Limp and damp, delicate as a young bird’s tongue;
Their fluttery fledgling lips
Move slowly,
Drawing in the warm air.
And at night,
The faint moon falling through whitewashed glass,
The heat going down
So their musky smell comes even stronger,
Drifting down from their mossy cradles:
So many devouring infants!
Soft luminescent fingers,
Lips neither dead nor alive,
Loose ghostly mouths
Breathing.

Sheet Music

Two Poems of Theodore Roethke

Composer(s): Ned Rorem

Song(s): 1. Orchids
2. I Strolled Across an Open Field

Buy via Sheet Music Plus

Support us and help us grow

Dear friends, Thank you for helping us build a comprehensive online archive of American song. Your gift is greatly appreciated.