By Grace of the Dawn
By Grace of the Dawn paints a portrait of human culture across time, using imagery of shifting sand dunes to illustrate the inseparability of humankind from the land on which we live. The text is informed both by the teachings of the ancient wisdom book Qoheleth—more widely known as Ecclesiastes—and by the cautionary tale of Icarus. The juxtaposition of these voices with the dunes invites contemplation of human hubris, especially our willful ignorance of the environmental crisis. The poem concludes with a prayer for intentionality and ownership of our actions, spiritual rootedness, and the flourishing of our shared home.
The recording featured on this page is from a performance by Renova New Music Ensemble at a CU Boulder SoundWorks concert.
For questions about purchasing and performing this piece, please contact Blake directly using the contact form.
By Grace of the Dawn
text by Blake Clawson
Each dune a candle by grace of the dawn,
Lit one by one at their appointed time,
Held in the solemn, timeless embrace
of mountains.
Sentinels watching, painted in light,
Ever dissolving into the wind,
Drifting away to some distant edge
of desert.
Each grain a life and each dune a land,
Built on the ghost of once-drifted sand:
Wind-driven rock––Icarian leaps all
too human.
Let not these shifting sands be void of purpose.
Let not our striving be for only wind.
Let not our drifting be without a grounding.
O bless this land!
May this fallow earth be rooted rich and deep.
Amen.