This Prayer for the Twenty-First Century was composed by John Marsden. It was choreographed and performed by the Dandelions Dance Company. The background music was from Ashana’s Ave Maria. I listen to this recording on my iPhone quite frequently.
May the road be free for the journey,
May it lead where it promised it would.
May the stars that gave ancient bearings
Be seen and be understood:
May every aircraft fly safely;
May every traveler be found;
May sailors in crossing the seas,
Not hear the cries of the drowned.
May gardens be wild like jungles,
May nature never be tamed.
May dangers create of us heroes,
May fears always have names.
May the mountains stand to remind us
Of what it means to be young;
May we be outlived by our daughters,
May we be outlived by our sons.
May the bombs rust away in the bunkers,
And the doomsday clock be rewound;
May the solitary scientists, working,
Remember the holes in the ground.
May the knife remain in the holder,
May the bullet stay in the gun,
May those who live in the shadows
Be seen by those in the sun.
-John Marsden
When John Marsden heard about this performance, he said,
“That’s an absolutely extraordinary piece of dance. I’ve never seen such a beautiful and moving response to my work. Thank you – you deserved the standing ovation at the end.
All the best”
How did you respond to the poem, dancing and music. When Ian Prattis, a dharma brother, shared this with me, I was moved to share it with you. Why not share it with your family and friends?
