“Divine Music” from “Enlightened Relations: The Life in a Day”

“Now, after sitting down beside him, she hit the “play” button and snuggled close to her lover. Debussy’s L’apres midi d’un faune began. If ever music had emerged directly from the font of the Absolute, still dripping with the silvered beads of divine inspiration, it was this music. As one listened to it, one spied on nature awakening from a deep sleep, of creation emerging from darkness into matutinal light. A single flute, reminiscent of the morning’s first lone bird call, drowsily began to sing. The world was still half asleep, caught in that torpor of partial, semi-conscious wakefulness. The toils of the dark night still hung heavy on the earth’s feet. The sun had not yet risen. Only the pre-dawn glints were visible, in streamers of palest rose and unripe cherry, on the long horizon. All the creatures in the forest remained in deepest sleep. Only this single bird had found its voice. The flute was soon joined by an oboe, a French horn, and two harps. The single bird had awakened her family, who had joined her in chorus. The sun had nearly reached the rim of the earth, and had lit up the sky with brilliant hues of cantaloupe, orange, and tangerine. The plants and trees felt the coming of the sun. The larger creatures stirred in their sleep, gradually coming back to awareness. Other birds, in other trees, added their voices to those of the first family of singers.”