CLOCK OF THE WORLD Krista Detor I am pondering the citizenry of the place I live Privilege and advantage, but a willingness to give These droves and droves of immigrants came teaming 'cross the plains The cavalry behind them, and we are what remains And if you've got a dollar, someone'll give you something for it But a little more'll get you something nicer I'm sure of it Maybe a watch that's made in China from the trunk of someone's car or a life-size cardboard cutout of a famous movie star Chorus: But somewhere bells are ringing Somewhere someone's marrying Or a casket someone's carrying A crowd somewhere is gathering Somewhere a bell is marking What is passing and sublime Like the clock of the world Keeping perfect holy time Ravenous and beautiful, it's all beyond me, I admit I can buy it if I want it, but I don't need so much of it And the price will need repaying, don't know how it will be met But bells'll go on ringing, grace may find us yet Or will the angels stumble, weary, tired of tasks they've been assigned? Chimes ringing resoundly, while they hold the firing lines? With great imagination we call these creatures from the air And as easily convince ourselves that they were never there Chorus I am listening for a church bell and I know somewhere it rings Reading Darwin by the window, in the order of natural things There is grandeur in his viewpoint These evolutionary strains Still nothing's quiet on the Eastern front So the cavalry remains Always the cavalry remains And if you've got a dollar, someone'll give you something for it but a little more'll get you something nicer I'm sure of it Here's a painting of a woman, maybe all the way from Rome Look how sad and pretty, she's so far away from home Chorus
(My thanks to the songwriter, joined for this performance by Karine Polwart, Emily Smith, and Rachael McShane, via Dyann LeRoy.)
The Gentle Nudge
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THURSDAY: Poetry Pick-Me-Up (Zoom, 12:00-1:00PM Central, at this link)
That was beautiful, thanks for sharing.
Thanks!