Take A Break

Un deux trois quatre

Un deux trois quatre

Cinq six sept huit neuf

Cinq six sept huit neuf

Good! Un deux trois quatre

Un deux trois quatre

Cinq six sept huit neuf

Cinq six sept huit neuf

Sept huit neuf—

Sept huit neuf—

Sept huit neuf—

Sept huit neuf—

One two three four five six seven eight nine!

My dearest, Angelica

“Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow

Creeps in this petty pace from day to day”

I trust you’ll understand the reference to

Another Scottish tragedy without my having to name the play

They think me Macbeth, and ambition is my folly

I’m a polymath, a pain in the ass, a massive pain

Madison is Banquo, Jefferson’s Macduff

And Birnam Wood is Congress on its way to Dunsinane

And there you are, an ocean away

Do you have to live an ocean away?

Thoughts of you subside

Then I get another letter

I cannot put the notion away…

Take a break

I am on my way

There’s a little surprise before supper

And it cannot wait

I’ll be there in just a minute, save my plate

Alexander—

Okay, okay—

Your son is nine years old today

And he has something that he’d like to say

He’s been practicing all day

Philip, take it away—

Daddy, daddy, look—

My name is Philip

I am a poet

I wrote this poem just

To show it

And I just turned nine

You can write rhymes

But you can’t write mine

What!

I practice French

And play piano with my mother

Uh-huh!

I have a sister, but I want a little brother

Okay!

My daddy’s trying to start America’s bank

Un deux trois quatre cinq!

Bravo!

Take a break

Hey, our kid is pretty great

Run away with us for the summer

Let’s go upstate

Eliza, I’ve got so much on my plate

We can all go stay with my father

There’s a lake I know…

I know

In a nearby park

I’d love to go

You and I can go when the night gets dark…

I will try to get away

My dearest Alexander

You must get through to Jefferson

Sit down with him and compromise

Don’t stop ‘til you agree

Your fav’rite older sister

Angelica, reminds you

There’s someone in your corner all the way across the sea

In a letter I received from you two weeks ago

I noticed a comma in the middle of a phrase

It changed the meaning. Did you intend this?

One stroke and you’ve consumed my waking days

It says:

“My dearest Angelica”

With a comma after “dearest.” You’ve written

“My dearest, Angelica.”

Anyway, all this to say

I’m coming home this summer

At my sister’s invitation

I’ll be there with your fam’ly

If you make your way upstate

I know you’re very busy

I know your work’s important

But I’m crossing the ocean and I just can’t wait

You won’t be an ocean away

You will only be a moment away…

Alexander, come downstairs. Angelica’s arriving today!

Angelica!

Eliza!

The Schuyler sisters!

Alexander

Hi

It’s good to see your face

Angelica, tell this man John Adams spends the summer with his family

Angelica, tell my wife John Adams doesn’t have a real job anyway

…you’re not joining us? Wait

I’m afraid I cannot join you upstate

Alexander, I came all this way

She came all this way—

All this way—

Take a break

You know I have to get my plan through Congress

Run away with us for the summer

Let’s go upstate

I lose my job if I don’t get my plan through Congress

We can all go stay with our father

There’s a lake I know

I know I’ll miss your face—

In a nearby park

Screw your courage to the sticking place—

You and I can go

Eliza’s right—

Take a break.

Take a break and get away—

Run away with us for the summer—

Let’s go upstate

Let’s go upstate

Where we can stay

We can all go stay with our father

If you take your time—

Look around, look around

You will make your mark

At how lucky we are to be alive right now—

Close your eyes and dream—

We can go—

When the night gets dark

When the night gets dark

Take a break

Take a break

I have to get my plan through Congress

I can’t stop until I get this plan through Congress