[Magdalen] Snowing now

[James Oppenheimer-Crawford]

Years ago my church choir did a concert including much of Randall
Thompson's greatly underappreciated "Frostiana."
The weather was warm, and all the windows of the sanctuary were open to let
in any passing breeze.
During the singing of "Come in," a bird outside began gently singing along.
Unfortunately you cannot hear the bird on our recording, but for those
present the moment was utter magic.

As I came to the edge of the woods,
Thrush music -- hark!
Now if it was dusk outside,
Inside it was dark.

Too dark in the woods for a bird
By sleight of wing
To better its perch for the night,
Though it still could sing.

The last of the light of the sun
That had died in the west
Still lived for one song more
In a thrush's breast.

Far in the pillared dark
Thrush music went --
Almost like a call to come in
To the dark and lament.

But no, I was out for stars;
I would not come in.
I meant not even if asked;
And I hadn't been.

James W. Oppenheimer-Crawford
*“If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better
for people coming behind you, and you don’t do it, you're wasting your time
on this Earth.”  -- *Roberto Clemente

On Thu, Dec 4, 2014 at 8:34 AM, ME Michaud <michaudme at gmail.com> wrote:

> Oh, but the trade-off!
> -M, who remembers all-night dusk full of the song of nightingales
>
> On Tuesday, December 2, 2014, Scott Knitter <scottknitter at gmail.com> wrote
> >
> > No wonder I didn't get to see much of Cambridge during my visit there
> > for Evensong in King's College Chapel. My train arrived in Cambridge
> > around 3.30, and I left again on the last train from Huntingdon. All
> > in the dark.
> >
> >
>