Shaker Hymn
How its makers would rejoice to hear
The bells shake down this simple hymn
In strident harmony upon
The hurrying passersby, who lift
Their faces, startled by this gift
Of melody or memory
Of early Sunday mornings
Singing in their church choirs -
Rejoice to hear their hearts still beat
In music, having chosen not
To live beyond themselves except
As music or ideas live, only
Echoes passed from mind to mind,
As growing rings of tension
And release in the air at day's end,
In the shaking of empty bells.
Philip Hart
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