The Blessed Child Song Cycle
© Copyright 1999 by John L. Waters.
All Rights Reserved
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1. The person who doesn’t have social skills
Or high social status isn’t regarded as a leader.
It’s hard for a person who doesn’t command attention
To hold your attention.
He may have value,
But it’s hard for people
To recognize his value.
So he may never communicate
His value to others.
2. How does a baby gain attention?
He howls.
The blessed baby doesn’t howl.
He’s content without social contact.
He watches what moves and shines.
He sees the beauty of colored objects.
He’s a receptacle of wonder and joy,
Even before he can walk.
3. At school the blessed child
Sees flags waving in the breeze
And flowers blooming.
He sees the bright colors of the children’s clothes.
He hears the voices of distraught children.
He witnesses their excitement
In fast ball games.
All that there is to see he sees.
The other children are just playing a game.
He watches all this play from a distance.
4. Blessedness is hard to share.
Other children are in pursuit of points.
What there is they don’t see.
Their eyes are intensely focused,
Following the ball.
5. Children learn to keep their eyes
On the prize and their hands
On the plow.
This is being a goal-oriented person,
And this is being a responsible citizen
In the Old Culture.
But the blessed child rejoices in his heart
For the beauty and the wonder
Of everything he senses in his joy.
His every word is joy.
6. School teaches a child to strive and to achieve.
In the fury of testing, eyes lose their peripheral vision.
Minds focused on the narrow field
Pay no attention to most of what is.
In a library of ten thousand books
Only a few books are opened.
In the menagerie of every garden
Only a few animals are seen.
7. The blessed person is odd.
His songs aren’t just
About romantic love.
His writings aren’t on just one subject.
His eyes range far and wide.
His fingers move through many books.
And even as he speaks
His eyes move around.
He’s not an engaging speaker.
His life’s not been devoted
To commanding attention
Or to commanding other people.
8. Some say the blessed person
Has mild autism, and they complain
That his attention
Isn’t focused.
The blessed person sees people
As a part of the universe.
The whole world excites him,
Not just people.
People say humanity is the center
And that the universal harmony isn’t important,
As they fight over status,
Rights, money, and jobs.
9. There are urgent needs today.
There are poor persons who have special needs.
The fabulously wealthy often remain focused
On making more and more money for themselves,
Even as homeless people are dying in the street.
Many persons don’t look around and see
All of the suffering.
Society honors those most
Whose attention is more
Narrowly focused.
10. The blessed child doesn’t remain innocent.
It is the narrowly focused who stay naive.
Children playing games don’t explore far and wide.
The person who explores finds out what is true.
11. In joy I come to you, singing.
I sing songs about many things.
I sing of giving at least ten percent
Of your time, talent, labor and income
To help those who are being left out.
Let eyes be opened wider, hearts made warmer
And minds expanded.
12. Share the good news
Of Kingdom Come.
The whole world’s a bum
Sponging off of
Brother Sun.
(contributor: John L. Waters)
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