Ravinia 2019, Issue 7, Week 14

Welcome, welcome, sounds the song, Calling, calling clear; Always with us, evergreen heart, Where can we be but there? Matthew: I’ll find all the love I have longed for, The home that’s been calling my heart so long So soon I’ll be cleansed in those waters, My fevers forever be gone; Where else on earth but these waters? No more, no more to be torn; My own ones, my dearest, are waiting— And I’ll weep to be where I belong. Welcome, welcome, sounds the song, Calling, calling clear; Always with me, evergreen heart, Where can I be but here? Recitation X The fence has been torn down. The Fence (after) / The Wind prayed upon frowned upon revered feared adored abhorred despised idolized splintered scarred weathered worn broken down broken up ripped apart ripped away gone but not forgotten The North Wind carried his father’s laugh The South Wind carried his mother’s song The East Wind carried his brother’s cheer The West Wind carried his lover’s moan The Winds of the World wove together a prayer to carry that hurt boy home prayed upon frowned upon revered feared North Wind, South Wind, East Wind, West Wind (Splintered, scarred, weathered, worn, broken down, gone) Winds of the World: carry him home. Pilgrimage The land was sold and a new fence now stands about 50 yards away. People still come to pay their respects. —Jim Osborn, friend of Matthew Shepard I walk to the fence with beauty before me The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want I walk to the fence with beauty behind me Yit’gadal v’yit’ kadash (may his great name grow) I walk to the fence with beauty above me Om Mani Padme Ham (Om! the jewel in the lotus, hum! ) I walk to the fence with beauty below me Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit I reach the fence surrounded by beauty wail of wind, cry of hawk I leave the fence surrounded by beauty sigh of sagebrush, hush of stone (Beauty above me, beauty below me By beauty surrounded) Still, still, still, I wonder.... wail of wind, cry of hawk Still, still, still, I wonder… wail of wind, cry of hawk Still still still EPILOGUE Meet Me Here Meet me here Won’t you meet me here Where the old fence ends and the horizon begins There’s a balm in the silence Like an understanding air Where the old fence ends and the horizon begins We’ve been walking through the darkness On this long, hard climb Carried ancestral sorrow For too long a time Will you lay down your burden Lay it down, come with me It will never be forgotten Held in love, so tenderly Meet me here Won’t you meet me here Where the old fence ends and the horizon begins There’s a joy in the singing Like an understanding air Where the fence ends and the horizon begins. Then we’ll come to the mountain We’ll go bounding to see That great circle of dancing And we’ll dance endlessly And we’ll dance with the all the children Who’ve been lost along the way We will welcome each other Coming home, this glorious day We are home in the mountain And we’ll gently understand That we’ve been friends forever That we’ve never been alone We’ll sing on through any darkness And our Song will be our sight We can learn to offer praise again Coming home to the light … Thank You even in this rain signs of You everywhere, signs in the darkness signs in the fires signs of You in the twisting of hurt streets signs in the ruins of rivers, the shattered streams signs in the tunnels, the tents, the towers thank you this song to be sung signs of You in the chants before dawn signs of You in the tiniest beating heart SEPTEMBER 3 – SEPTEMBER 15, 2019 | RAVINIA MAGAZINE 111