kéramos † turn, turn : my wheel turn round and round without a pause, without a sound so spins the flying world away this clay, well mixed with marl and sand follows the motion of my hand far some must follow, and some command though all are made of clay turn, turn : my wheel all things must change to something new, to something strange nothing that is can pause or stay the moon will wax, the moon will wane the mist and cloud will turn to rain the rain to mist and cloud again tomorrow be today art is the child of nature, yes her darling child in whom we trace the features of the mother's face her aspect and her attitude all her majestic loveliness chastened and softened and subdued into a more attractive grace and with a human sense imbued turn, turn : my wheel all life is brief what now is bud will soon be leaf what now is leaf will soon decay the wind blows east, the wind blows west the blue eyes in the robin's nest will soon have wings and beak and breast and flutter and fly away turn, turn : my wheel this earthen jar a touch can make, a touch can mar and shall it to the potter say what makest thou : thou hast no hand as men who think to understand a world by their Creator planned who wiser is than they art is the child of nature, yes her darling child in whom we trace the features of the mother's face her aspect and her attitude all her majestic loveliness chastened and softened and subdued into a more attractive grace and with a human sense imbued turn, turn : my wheel 'tis nature's plan the child should grow into the man the man grow wrinkled, old, and gray in youth the heart exults and sings the pulses leap, the feet have wings in age the cricket chirps and brings the harvest home of day tomorrow will be another day tomorrow searching heart and name to stamp with honor or with shame these vessels made of clay stop, stop : my wheel too soon, too soon the noon will be the afternoon too soon today be yesterday behind us in our path we cast the broken potsherds of the past and all are ground to dust at last and trodden into clay he is the greatest artist then whether of pencil or of pen who follows nature, never man as artist or as artisan to satisfy our nobler needs as one who sets his willing feet in nature's footprints, light and fleet and follows fearless where she leads in nature's footprints, light and fleet will follow fearless where she leads ~ † adapted from henry wadsworth longfellow, "kéramos" kéramos, and other poems. london : routledge and sons, 1878 https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/1365/pg1365-images.html#chap317 style inspired by mary, "can we imagine" https://suno.com/song/33e301f0-c653-4645-912d-30754848edd1 sound design by rjh illustration by rjh and nano-banana 2
