At the Choral Concert

Today is sunny and sad.  Our little family of six, so rarely all in one spot for long stretches, has carefully, purposefully torn off the calendar pages for three weeks of winter break together.  Reading and running, playing Settlers and Wii, laughing, baking, working crosswords, watching the traditional movies at the traditional times and places.  Meeting new people, catching up with some we've known forever.  Disposable time has become more precious than disposable income, and today marks the end of a large chunk of easy, sweet family time.  I'm sad to see it go. 

John reads a lot.  He consumes a whole magazine, or newspaper, or sheaf of Sunday comics, and regularly points out for me the one bit he thinks I would enjoy.  He nearly always hits the mark (well, except with the comics).  I love having my own personal Reading Editor.

This morning, while he was pecking away at the Sudoku in the Sunday paper, I mentioned feeling sad that such a beautiful, restful vacation was coming to an end.  My editor flipped over the newsprint and handed me this poem: 

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At the Choral Concert
by Tim Nolan

The high school kids are so beautiful
in thier lavendar blouses and crisp white shirts.

They open thier mouths to sing with that
far-off stare they had looking out from the crib.

Their voices lift up from the marble bed
of the high altar to the blue endless ceiling

of heaven as depicted in the cloudy dome--
and we--as the parents--crane our necks

to see our children and what is above us--
and ahead of us--until the end when we

are invited up to sing with them--sopranos
and altos--tenors and basses--to sing the great

Hallelujah Chorus--and I'm standing with the other
stunned and gray fathers--holding our sheet music--

searching for our parts--and we realize--
our voices are surprisingly rich--experienced--

For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth--
and how do we all know to come in

at exactly the right moment?--Forever and ever--
and how can it not seem that we shall reign

forever and ever--in one voice with our beautiful
children--looking out into all those lights.

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Happy New Year and Hallelujah from one standing with neck craned,
                   to see our children
                                   and what is above us
                                                  and ahead of us,
                                                           looking into the light
                                                                            until the end.