Monday Morning Musings:
“This will be our reply to violence: to make music more intensely, more beautifully, more devotedly than ever before.”
–Leonard Bernstein (In reference to a concert played after JFK’s assassination.)
“I also believe, along with Keats, that the Poetry of Earth is never dead, as long as Spring succeeds Winter. . .”
–Leonard Bernstein
“He’s alive. He’s alive so long as these evils exist. Remember that when he comes to your town. Remember it when you hear his voice speaking out through others. Remember it when you hear a name called, a minority attacked, any blind, unreasoning assault on a people or any human being. He’s alive because, though these things, we keep him alive.”
Rod Serling, “He’s Alive,” The Twilight Zone.
The Queen of Soul with last breath sighs
a cappella respect and pink Cadillacs lay her to rest
and when the war hero dies, tributes attest
to his heroism, morality, beliefs that belie
the petty tyrant’s mocking words
his tweeting calls, unlike the birds
who in dawn chorus sing
and bring the poetry of earth alive
(let freedom ring).
At a museum we see the story of a people and a man
a tribute for what would have been his hundredth year
his father wanted him to be a rabbi, but didn’t stand
in his way, when music was what he held so dear
–but he was a rabbi of a sort, teaching with sound
and harmony, questioning and seeking justice, shedding tears
to bring the poetry of earth to light–
his reply to violence was not silence,
but rather let the music swell intensely, delight
in life, for all of us, poetry of earth and air
today, tonight
(someday, somewhere)
We see a movie about a boy and his brothers
violence and love, we and us, a trio till it’s not–
they run wild, as mother and father
and family, all of them caught
a cycle, repeating what they’ve learned
yelling and silence, kisses and slaps
and so, he seeks solace in art, turns
to his frantic scribbling, wraps
his pain and questioning in late night visions
finally realizing, and makes decisions
there’s poetry in this dreamy work
where souls almost drown, but also fly
and even in the light, the darkness lurks
the poetry of earth means changes are sung
but his mother whispers
(may you stay forever young).
We stroll through the city
that also ages and changes,
we see ugly and pretty
poverty and wealth, such ranges
and though fall is coming,
summer still holds sway
the poetry of earth ever humming
through violence, love finds a way
we see weddings, people who are happy
and we smile with them as we walk
drink our coffee, discuss movies, and talk
about this and that
and in end of summer heat
complete
(we’ll do the best we know
and make our garden grow).
Song lyrics: “My Country ‘Tis of Thee,” which Aretha Franklin sang at Barack Obama’s inauguration. Leonard Bernstein references to “Tonight” and “Somewhere” from West Side Story and “Make Our Garden Grow” from Candide. “May You Stay Forever Young,” Bob Dylan.
We went to the Leonard Bernstein exhibit on its last day at the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia. I didn’t know he had performed at a displaced persons camp after WWII. He conducted an orchestra that called themselves the Ex-Concentration Camp Orchestra. You can read about it here and here. We saw We the Animals. Trailer here. I really liked this movie. We watched the old Twilight Zone episode “He’s Alive.” It was written in the 1960s, but it is a timely reminder about what could be.
Yesterday and today: Merril's historical musings 