West Wing Season VII, an episode called Undecideds. Latino presidential candidate is visiting a black church in LA. There are already tensions between the two communities and now a black kid is shot dead by a Latino cop. The candidate speaks at the church but before he does the gospel choir sings. Uplifting, soulful, as gospel always is. The words of the song are the final words of this poem.
Belle of the Choir
eyes, sorrowful, eyes watery, welling up
with childishly bitten-back passionate pique
eyes that have seen so much and betray it
the voice sings as the eyes look on intently
the song reaches out towering as a school marm
commanding as she who has suffered and
mothered for sometimes the two are one and the same
preceded by a preacher a good man but his words easy
his words scripted, the valley of death.
she though, for all the spiritual reference, she has
furrowed soul and sorrowful strength and skin
ancestral, vocal chords strung high, low, wired to
heart and accessing emotion, vibrating lung
her message is simple as the bell of the choir
robed rhythm, downtrodden drudge, for a moment
free for a moment to peal forth the sweet word
and the word is listen and the command is inherent
and the word is holy: I will listen all day long.
No comments:
Post a Comment