(Luke, I:26-35;
David Bowie, “Golden Years”; Sonnets to Orpheus, Second Series, Sonnet 5)
1.
In the Book of Luke,
Gabriel visits Mary:
Blessed are you among women,
for you shall conceive in your womb,
and bring forth God!
Mary wonders: How can this be,
seeing I know not a man?—
meekly inquiring—and receives
the clear word:
The Holy Ghost shall come upon you,
and the power of the Highest
shall overshadow you.
Mary answers:
See the handmaid
of the Lord.
Gabriel visits Mary:
Blessed are you among women,
for you shall conceive in your womb,
and bring forth God!
Mary wonders: How can this be,
seeing I know not a man?—
meekly inquiring—and receives
the clear word:
The Holy Ghost shall come upon you,
and the power of the Highest
shall overshadow you.
Mary answers:
See the handmaid
of the Lord.
2.
We can have open season on elk.
We can have a spiritual opening like a Quaker.
We can open our hearts and minds.
We can have a spiritual opening like a Quaker.
We can open our hearts and minds.
“Open, Sesame!” we say,
and a door in the rock opens,
unless we forget the shibboleth—
and a door in the rock opens,
unless we forget the shibboleth—
“Open, Grape Seed!”
“Open, Poppy Seed!”
“Open, Carroway Seed!”
“Open, Poppy Seed!”
“Open, Carroway Seed!”
Linseed, flax, you name it!
We can keep our back door open
in our golden years.
Don't let me hear
you say life's taking you nowhere, angel
Golden years wop wop wop
Come get up my baby
Come get up my baby
Look at that sky,
life's begun
Nights are warm and the days are young
Nights are warm and the days are young
Golden years wop
wop wop
Come get up my baby
Come get up my baby
Some of these days, and it won't be long
Gonna drive back down where you once belonged
In the back of a dream car twenty foot long
Don't cry my sweet, don't break my heart
Doing all right, but you gotta get smart
Wish upon, wish upon, day upon day,
I believe, Oh Lord, I believe all the way.
Gonna drive back down where you once belonged
In the back of a dream car twenty foot long
Don't cry my sweet, don't break my heart
Doing all right, but you gotta get smart
Wish upon, wish upon, day upon day,
I believe, Oh Lord, I believe all the way.
Golden years wop wop wop
Come get up my baby
Come get up my baby
Run for the shadows, run for the shadows
Run for the shadows in these golden years
Wop wop wop
Wop wop wop
And, hell, this smarmy Rilke sonnet is clearly about conception,
immaculate or not:
immaculate or not:
3.
Flower-muscle, anemone,
gradually opening in the meadow morning,
as into you the many-toned
light of the bright heavens is poured,
gradually opening in the meadow morning,
as into you the many-toned
light of the bright heavens is poured,
into that tense but
quiet muscle
of infinite reception
sometimes so completely overpowered
that the resting posture of the downfall
of infinite reception
sometimes so completely overpowered
that the resting posture of the downfall
hardly allows the
hinged
petals to spring back and cover you:
you, decision and power of how many worlds!
petals to spring back and cover you:
you, decision and power of how many worlds!
