Proem
O Muse. You have been called upon before
By men to inflame the mind's eye and bring
To full vision, not just the tales of lore,
Nor the simple deeds alone, but to sing
Of the surrounding beauty, or the sting
That painful acts inflict; to bring to light
Larger realities; not just the thing
Itself, but as if having second sight,
We were able to see the thing aright.
And so we ask you to join to our pen
Your voice and your song. Shake the foundation
Of cozy thoughts, stale attitudes that men
Build up around their quivering station
As keeper of truths. We are a nation
Dumb and most mute, who, unable to speak,
Have lost the art of knowing. Oration,
Misplaced by men, your heart and tongue we seek.
With God-given gift, tell of the first week.
The First Day
In the Beginning was God. Father, Son
Spirit. Speaker, Word, Song; Passion, Servant,
Wisdom; Music, Lyric, Dance. They are one
God, indwelling majesty, in fervent
Adoration for the other. Vibrant,
Living love, sweet aroma, spoken Word
Filling all with joy. With such love the scent
Took shape, though formless and void. Then the Lord
Of all creation Spoke. Love was outpoured.
"LET THERE BE LIGHT," the thunderous Voice bespoke;
The word itself was planted in the Deep;
In the stillness of the void, Light awoke.
Sown for the righteous, it began to sweep
Through fields unknown, where new waters sleep.
Light made glad the Heart of Him who saw it:
Laughing loud with joy, joy rich and long steeped
In love and Music's Melody, where writ
In ages unrevealed, true Beauty's wit.
Light laughed aloud along untasted roads,
Glimmering, shimmering fast it did dance,
Making holy love to the watered loads
Of the bright and high heavenly expanse.
On the light laughed, through the glist'ning romance
Of stillness and void. The bright sunless skies,
Spread out over the deep waters advance,
Took all in hand and in light did baptize.
And it was good in the Maker's bright eyes.
“I NAME YOU DAY” the Maker spoke aloud.
“From Dawn till Dusk you’ll dance and laugh for joy.
Bright will you shine: cheerful, warm and unbowed.
Through two of three your light will light employ
To shine on words and worlds - some proud, some coy -
The gleaming, glist’ning, gladsome grace of light.
This grace no darkness will or can destroy.
Each morning will arise and put to flight
The blackness and the myst’ry I call Night”
Each morning ray foretells of Light to come:
Light that would pierce the darkness of the grave;
Light that brings fire to bodies cold and numb;
Light, a valley of dusty bones to save.
Lightnings flash, footsteps thunder on the wave
Where passes Light Himself, on paths unseen.
Through waters great Light burst forth strong and brave
To taste the dark of death and swallow clean
The cup of His bride, His daughter, His Queen.
In this true light all other lights are known;
In Him alone we see the light as light.
For righteousness and joy this light is sown
Upon the hearts of all who are upright.
In light He comes to break the waters might
And ride the depths in splendrous majesty;
The Day is His, His also is the Night
In which to break Himself upon the sea
Of our death, our pain, our iniquity.
