Hydrangea blossom, neighbor's yard
The Willamette choirs sang in a concert this evening. It was so beautiful, all of their voices lifting together in heart-felt sound. I have the privilege of leading the women's group, and they created magic tonight on Randall Stroope's Two Strings, One Voice, a setting of a wonderful Rilke poem (see below). I came home thinking, "What is the most beautiful heart I have photographed that might capture their sound in an image, sounds that were like ribbons of light?" And then I saw this one from last summer. Its many petals, shapes, angles and tones all form one sweet and voluptuous shape of love. Yes, that is what they sounded like tonight. Oh sweetest of songs.
Love Song
How shall I
hold on to my soul, so that
it does not touch yours? How shall I lift
it gently up over you on to other things?
I would so very much like to tuck it away
among long lost objects in the dark
in some quiet unknown place, somewhere
which remains motionless when your depths resound.
And yet everything which touches us, you and me,
takes us together like a single bow,
drawing out from two strings but one voice.
On which instrument are we strung?
And which violinist holds us in the hand?
Oh sweetest of songs.
it does not touch yours? How shall I lift
it gently up over you on to other things?
I would so very much like to tuck it away
among long lost objects in the dark
in some quiet unknown place, somewhere
which remains motionless when your depths resound.
And yet everything which touches us, you and me,
takes us together like a single bow,
drawing out from two strings but one voice.
On which instrument are we strung?
And which violinist holds us in the hand?
Oh sweetest of songs.
translation: Cliff Crego
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