The Daily Boost #713

The clock, keeping perfect holy time

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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