Replying to LO28117 --
John Dicus Quoted:
> Brian Andreas (see storypeople.com):
> "What do I get for this? I said & the angel
> gave me a catalog filled with toasters & clock
> radios & a basketball signed by Michael Jordan
> & I said, But this is just stuff & the angel smiled
> at me & swallowed me in her arms. I'm so glad
> you said that, she whispered to me. I knew you
> still had a chance."
Here is another one for you John. It is from the poet George Herbert
Love Bade me welcome; yet my soul drew back,
Guilty of dust and sin,
But quick eyed Love, observing me go slack
>From my first entrance in,
Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning
If I lacked anything.
A Guest, I answer'd: "worthy to be here:"
Love said: "You shall be he."
I the unkind, ungrateful? "Ah my dear
I cannot look on thee."
Love took my hand, and smiling did reply:
"Who made the eyes but I?"
Truth Lord but I have marred them: let my shame
Go where it doth deserve.
And know you not, says Love, who bore the blame?
My dear, then I will serve!
You must sit down says Love, and taste my meat.
So I did sit and eat.
Come, my Way, my Truth, my Life:
Such a Way, as gives us breath:
Such a Truth, as ends all strife:
Such a Life, as killeth death.
Come, my Light, my Feast, my Strength:
Such a Light, as shows a feast:
Such a Feast, as mends in length:
Such a Strength, as makes his guest.
Come, my Joy, my Love, my Heart:
Such a Joy, as none can move:
Such a Love, as none can part:
Such a Heart, as joys in love.
George Herbert
We all have the sentiments in our paths. Tomorrow is Easter, yesterday
was Passover, last week was Adagei Nvda (the Cherokee Spring New Year).
I don't know what Spring is in the Moslem Tradition. This Winter has
refused to leave and continues in the Middle East. But Rumi was a Moslem
as the Syrian Greek Christian Kahlil Gibran was a follower of the Bahai.
We all walk on two legs and Spring will come for us all if we let it and
we always wish that we had taken the other path. Better to appreciate
what we were given and remember that Spring has come.
My friend Ned Rorem published his first song many years ago. He has gone
on to become America's greatest living composer and composer for the
voice, but in the 1960s I had just discovered that everyone was not from a
reservation and that everyone did not share my heterosexuality. Many of
whom were my best friends. I discovered Rorem's first song and was led to
appreciate Rorem and Gore Vidal and Allen Ginsberg. They taught me to
realize what Whitman was saying as well. I have been enriched by my
friends in that community that has been so despised and is still. The
world is filled with such loss based upon prejudice, chauvinism and a
provincial lack of experience of anything but their own. Only in death do
they resent having sworn allegiance to their parents who traveled so much
further from their roots, or so the dying one believes. Well, that first
song cannot be sung here, but the text can and as the world explodes in
prejudice and a lack of brotherhood it wouldn't hurt to remember the poem
that launched the Gay composer Ned Rorem to become the serious voice for
America's identity, whether America will admit it or not.
Psalm 120
In my distress I cried unto the Lord,
And he heard me.
Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips
And from a deceitful tongue.
What shall be given unto thee?
or what shall be done unto thee,
thou false tongue?
Sharp arrows of the mighty,
with coals of juniper.
Woe is me that I sojourn in Mesech
that I dwell in the tents of Kedar:
My soul hath long dwelt with him
that hateth peace.
I am for peace:
but when I speak,
they are for war.
----------------------------
May your Spring be long and deep,
May your life be filled with meaning,
May your breath bring you courage,
May your heart bring you knowledge,
---------------------------
For each of us in our own
May we each finish our journey in beauty.
Your resident Heathen
Ray Evans Harrell, performing artist
New York City
mcore@nyc.rr.com
--"Ray Evans Harrell" <mcore@nyc.rr.com>
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <Richard@Karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>
"Learning-org" and the format of our message identifiers (LO1234, etc.) are trademarks of Richard Karash.