laramie

My new temp assignment, scoring the essays of 8th graders, has inspired me to write an essay of my own. I gave myself the topic of writing about what I believe to be the keys to happiness. I chose three keys, and over the past couple days have produced an essay running to 12 pages, written in long hand. Now I'm thinking that the essay could serve as the basis for a novel. A novel of ironic tone, since one of the keys to happiness is to allow room for playfulness and fun in the course of one's work, and the tone of the essay is so serious.

Music: Jean Sibelius 'Finlandia', Words: Lloyd Stone

Song of Peace

This is my song, O God of all the nations,
A song of peace, for lands afar and mine.
This is my home, the country where my heart is;
Here are my hopes, my dreams, my holy shrine.
But other hearts in other lands are beating
with hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.

My country's skies are bluer than the ocean,
and sunlight beams on clover leaf and pine.
But other lands have sunlight too, and clover,
And skies are everywhere as blue as mine.
O hear my song, thou God of all the nations,
A song of peace for their land and for mine.