Work Text:
Chant, gathered; sing story, sing memory,
remember those who are gone, known and unknown,
remember who, and why, and how. Preserve them
in song, in light, in breath, in life.
Threnody, Verse 1
A hush. Stars above and earth below. Stars surrounding and deck beneath. Here, this time, three heads bowed.
"We are gathered, as we have gathered, as we will gather again."
"To light, to plant, and to sing."
"To honor and preserve, in light and in breath."
They do not have all of the words, not as they were spoken. But the tradition endures, and they have words enough.
Follow the path and find the way,
Trace the foundation and the weave,
Attend the warp and the weft.
Beacon, beckon, begin.
Beaconsong, Stanza 31
A hum. A thrum. An instantiation.
Air held becomes exhalation, then sound -- soft yet building.
Here, this time, three voices intertwine. One provides the low range, the foundation, keeping time. One provides the middle range, the unifying core. One provides the upper range, punctuation and harmony.
Trust comrades,
Foster bonds,
Cultivate community.
Become the Way.
The Song of Becoming, Stanza 12
A harmony. A resonance.
Reverence, revered, reverberation.
They trust in arms to catch them, legs to bear them, hearts to buoy them on their way again.
And, together, we begin.