Cycles

Song Cycle by Loretta Jankowski (b. 1950)

Publisher: ACA (external link)

2. I stood upon a high place  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English 
I stood upon a high place,
And saw, below, many devils
Running, leaping,
and carousing in sin.
One looked up, grinning,
And said, "Comrade! Brother!"

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Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

3. Many workmen  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English 
Many workmen
Built a huge ball of masonry
Upon a mountain-top.
Then they went to the valley below,
And turned to behold their work.
"It is grand," they said;
They loved the thing.

Of a sudden, it moved:
It came upon them swiftly;
It crushed them all to blood.
But some had opportunity to squeal.

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4. The Wayfarer  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English 
The wayfarer,
Perceiving the pathway to truth,
Was struck with astonishment.
It was thickly grown with weeds.
"Ha," he said,
"I see that none has passed here
In a long time."
Later he saw that each weed
Was a singular knife.
"Well," he mumbled at last,
"Doubtless there are other roads."

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5. I saw a man pursuing the horizon  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English 
I saw a man pursuing the horizon;
Round and round they sped.
I was disturbed at this;
I accosted the man.
[“It is futile,” I said,]1
“You can never -- ”

“You lie,” he cried,
And ran [on]2.

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1 Lindsay: "I said, “It is futile,”"
2 Lidnsay: "on and on"

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
Total word count: 171