Happy Earth Day

There once was a planet called Earth,
A place of both sorrow and mirth.
But when Global Warming
Became quite alarming,
We discovered the need for rebirth.

I know limericks are supposed to be funny, but, well…

My good deed for Earth Day will be to deliver a carload of old computers and peripherals to, of all places, IKEA (Fensalir by the Bay), which is having a “bring out your dead (computers)” day.

This (Friday) evening, a friend with a spare ticket took me to the Oakland Symphony, which, while not as glossy as the San Francisco orchestra, is a very competent group, in the somewhat more relaxed atmosphere of the old Paramount Theater, which is notable for its well-preserved Art Deco decor. Apparently the schedule always includes a contemporary piece. This time it was the world premiere of “River of Mercy” by Andrew Norman, with a text from John Muir’s writings about the Merced River.

“Form to Form
Beauty to yet higher beauty
Ever Changing
Never resting
Everything is flowing…”

Of course this is arranged as poetry, but Muir’s prose is always poetic and achingly evocative of landscapes that in some cases are gone.

The piece features a well balanced mix of instruments, including chorus and some fine percussion, describing in sound the river’s progress from melting snow in the heights to the sea. My only complaint was that it hasn’t yet been recorded, so I can’t go out and buy the CD. Anyway, it was gorgeous, followed by Debussy’s “La Mer”, since, as Maestro Morgan pointed out, the river should run to the sea. “La Mer” was more or less the sound track when I was writing _The Sea Star_, so I immersed myself in sound and image, and tried to send energy to our embattled oceans.

Along with all the practical things we are trying to do, I realize that we should not forget the spiritual. For those of us who believe that Magic works, spending some regular time in meditation, sending energy to threatened species and visualizing change, might be a part of the program. Having gotten off to such a good start, I think that for me, this month’s focus will be the seas.

“The sun shines not on us but in us
The river flows not past, but through us
Thrilling
Tingling
Vibrating every fiber and cell of the substance of our bodies
Making them glide
Making them sing
The trees wave and the flowers bloom in our bodies,
Our souls,
And every bird song,
Every wind song,
Every storm song of the rocks in the heart of the mountains
Is our song
Sounding on forever
Our song
Our very own
And sings our love”