A love letter full of promises. That's right. Have you ever had one? ... Well I have, and I'm gonna recite it to you. If you had one, you'd know just how I feel. And it goes like this.
Oh, darling, do not now be lonely,
lonely anymore
I shall be the lover
Waiting at your door, oh love
Letter full of promises
Oh, dearest, I shall be the moonlight
In the clear blue air
And the sparkling stardust
That will kiss your hair, oh love
Letter full of promises
Oh, sweetheart, I shall be the sunshine
Calming down your fears
And the gentle breezes
Cooling off your tears, oh love
Letter full of promises
Honey, I shall be the shadow
Lying at your feet
Longing to embrace you
When again we shall meet
Darling, do not now be lonely
Lonely anymore
For I am here beside you
Here forevermore.
—"Teenager's Letter Of Promises" (1959), Juanita Rogers;
sampled by Ben Babbitt for Kentucky Route Zero, interlude The Entertainment
Jesus lying in his mother's arms
is a photon released from a dying star.
We move through the forest at night,
the sky is full of momentary light,
and everything we need is just too far.
We are photons released from a dying star.
We are fireflies a child has trapped in a jar,
and everything is distant as the stars.
I am here and you are where you are.
We have lived a long time here in the forest.
We lie beneath the heaps of leaves.
We are partial to this partial light:
we cannot sleep and fear our dreams.
There is no order here and nothing can be planned.
We are fireflies trapped in a little boy's hand,
and everything is as distant as the stars.
And I am here and you are where you are.
We lie among our atoms and I speak to you of things and
hope, sometimes, that maybe you will understand.
There is no order here, and there is no middle ground,
and nothing can be predicted, and nothing can be planned.
A star is just a memory of a star.
We are fireflies pulsing dimly in the dark.
We are here, and you are where you are.
We are here, and you are where you are.
—"Fireflies", Ghosteen (2019)
Nick Cave
The power of God to hold and lead
His eye to watch, His might to stay
His ear to hearken to my need
The wisdom of my God to teach
His hand to guide His shield to ward
The word of God to give me speech
His heavenly host to be my guard
The Mighty Three
My protection be
Encircling me
You are around
My life, my home
Encircling me
O sacred Three
The Mighty Three
Phôs hilaròn hagías dóxēs, athanátou Patrós,
ouraníou, hagíou, mákaros, Iēsoû Christé,
elthóntes epì tḕn hēlíou dýsin, idóntes phôs hesperinón,
hymnoûmen Patéra, Hyión, kaì Hágion Pneûma, Theón.
Áxión se en pâsi kairoîs hymneîsthai phōnaîs aisíais,
Hyiè Theoû, zoḕn ho didoús, diò ho kósmos sè doxázei.
and ransom captive Israel
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel
shall come to you, O Israel.
O come, O Wisdom from on high,
who ordered all things mightily;
to us the path of knowledge show
and teach us in its ways to go.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel
shall come to you, O Israel.
O come, O come, great Lord of might,
who to your tribes on Sinai's height
in ancient times did give the law
in cloud and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel
shall come to you, O Israel.
O come, O Branch of Jesse's stem,
unto your own and rescue them!
From depths of hell your people save,
and give them victory o'er the grave.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel
shall come to you, O Israel.
O come, O Key of David, come
and open wide our heavenly home.
Make safe for us the heavenward road
and bar the way to death's abode.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel
shall come to you, O Israel.
O come, O Bright and Morning Star,
and bring us comfort from afar!
Dispel the shadows of the night
and turn our darkness into light.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel
shall come to you, O Israel.
O come, O King of nations, bind
in one the hearts of all mankind.
Bid all our sad divisions cease
and be yourself our King of Peace.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel
shall come to you, O Israel.
I feel no conflict here
I feel my spirit soar
Within this sanctuary
Iona, Iona
There are no ghosts to haunt me
There is no blood upon this land
No power to make me fear
No hour of darkness here
Iona, Iona
All bathed in emerald
Out of the mist arise
I see the stones appear
A cross before my eyes
Iona, Iona, Iona…
— Iona, Iona (1990)
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