Modern Psalms

'And now for something completely different' as they would say from Monty Python. Those familiar with my articles are probably expecting something of a historical, documentary nature but that won't be the case this time. I won't be looking into the past, the present or the future for that matter. Sometimes there are other things that fill one's head and for whatever reason until such time that you put them to paper, they will not let you be. I've thought intraspectively on where these 'stray' thoughts may come from and I can only conclude that in some manner we are all hard-wired via our genetic codes to think and perform in specific ways. You have all probably heard the expression that it 'runs in the family' or that 'they're all so talented.' We take for granted that skills, abilities and talents are passed on. But what if far more is transferred over generations than just an ability? Why not our likes and dislikes, or for that matter what we term as stray thoughts. It is no surprise that after a thousand years of service in the Temple, my family would be ripe with musicians, lyricists, composers, singers, writers, artists and so on. These all would have been attributes utilised within the Temple services and it would appear that eventually if a pattern is repeated within enough succeeding generations it becomes an inate trait or an inherited talent. My forte is writing but from time to time lyrics accompanied by unrecorded melodies will pop into my head. I think we all experience similar events like this to some degree. I find that in some cases the only means to clear my thoughts is to write them down. This is one of those cases where these words have persisted to the point of distraction. As I did so, I recognized that in some ways, they weren't lyrics to a song at all but instead a poem or more correctly a psalm because of their content.

Tears to the sky, let the ashes fly,

Lord don't you cry, wipe the tears from your eyes.

I'm just a man, doing all that I can,

I'll live and I'll die, the times are yours to decide.

As I walk on this earth, since the day of my birth,

I sift through my hands, each small grain of sand 

What should I do if I'm still to prove

That I do understand my place in your plan?

How many to be saved before I go down to the grave,

My back bears the strain, the scars and the pain.

My strength will not fail, in the end to prevail,

Finally crushing our shame, our tears falling like rain.

I will take on what you ask and carry proudly this task.

To shine forth your light, shredding the curtains of night.

All will finally see, your heavenly majesty,

Singing praise of your might,inpsiring an end to our plight.

Tears to the sky, let the ashes fly,

I will not cry, there are no tears in my eyes.

I'm just a man, and I've done all that I can.

I've lived and I'll die, but through it all I survived.