“The birds they sang
at the break of day
Start again
I heard them say
Don’t dwell on what
has passed away
or what is yet to be…
Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in.”– Leonard Cohen
Friday night we went to Kerry Cohen’s ceramic exhibit at the museum, and on one fragile, delicate piece (they all are lovely) she had re-printed a section of lyrics from this Leonard Cohen song ( a poem, as that is what his lyrics are) that has also been rolling around in my head all winter and that I even used in a sermon given by an Episcopal priest in the novel I finished yesterday. (Well, more or less. I emailed it to Capital Copy in Juneau, to make a hard copy so I can go over it one more time and then I will send it off to my agent, and we will see what happens.)
You may want to copy and stick the poem on the fridge for Lent, which begins tomorrow with Ash Wednesday when Christians are marked with ashes on the forehead to remind us that from dust we came and to dust we will return. (Today is Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras, Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Tuesday in some places. Traditionally the last day to indulge in sweets, fats, alcohol, and meat until Easter. Every Tuesday it’s pancakes for little Ivy after pre-school at my house.)
Of course it’s just our luck that Valentine’s Day is this weekend. The Bamboo Room is hosting a fancy dinner, check with Bob and Christy about the specifics, and the school music program is holding one too, Sunday at 7:00 in the school, the students have tickets for sale. The ANB Hall is the place for a Valentine lunch Sunday at 12:30 to honor the strong hearted woman who fought racism in Alaska, Elizabeth Peratrovich. (The kindergarten-first grade class at the school is making their own picture book about the Alaska Native civil rights heroine, since Ms. Armstrong said she couldn’t find any to read aloud to the class.)
Also this week the school board is meeting a few times to narrow down the superintendent choices, beginning tonight at 5 at the school and the cast of The House of Bernada Alba is polishing the show and holding last rehearsals ( the Garcia Lorca drama is at 7 o’clock Friday and Saturday night in the Chilkat Center, and I think there is a Sunday matinee.)The Friends of the Pool meet Thursday at 4:30 and the last home basketball games of the year are Thursday and Friday vs. Craig.
