the singer moment

in "The Singer"

Earthmaker and His Troubadour sit down

on the outer rim of space

and look at our planet

Earthmaker holds it to His ear ...

'They're crying, Troubadour'

He said

'they cry so hopelessly.'

He gave the tiny planet to His Son

who also held it by His ear.

'Year after weary year they all keep crying.

They seem born to weep then die.'

Then

with His nail

He scraped the atmosphere

and both of them beheld the plant bleed.

Earthmaker set earth spinning on its way

and said,

'Give Me your vast infinity, My Son;

I'll wrap it in a bit of clay.'

and so the Son became one-of-us.

Calvin Miller wrote The Singer

a healthy child

is somehow

very much

like God

a hurting child, his son