A Jelly-Fish
All works
Anna Elder, Sarah Steranka | Sydeboob Duo — Scholes St. Studio, Brooklyn, NY, 2026
Written for Anna Elder and Sarah Steranka of the Sydeboob Duo as part of the Sydeboob Duo Clinic
Program Notes
Inspired by Marianne Moore's poem, A Jelly-Fish evokes the experience of reaching out to touch a jellyfish, only to watch it shrivel and fade away just as your hand draws near. This fleeting moment mirrors the indescribable nature of poetry, music, and art. When trying to dissect its details, its essence slips away. This piece explores a reaching, and a longing for song only to dissolve away into the sea.
Lyrics
A Jelly-Fish
Visible, invisible,
A fluctuating charm,
An amber-colored amethyst
Inhabits it; your arm
Approaches, and
It opens and
It closes;
You have meant
To catch it,
And it shrivels;
You abandon
Your intent—
It opens, and it
Closes and you
Reach for it—
The blue
Surrounding it
Grows cloudy, and
It floats away
From you.
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