Bikes and Bombs and Rivers of Life (with guest appearances by Moses and Creation)

We seem to have reached that time of year when the light is always bouncing off of things.* 

Since taking this shot a few days ago

and seeing metal pipes meld with bike melding with an imagined cyclist with the key to the lock, I’ve found myself thinking of these lyrics from Paul Simon’s “Love is Eternal Sacred Light”

How’d it all begin?  Started with a bang

Couple of light years later, stars and planets sang

Fire warmed the cold, waves of colours flew

Moonlight into gold, earth to green and blue…

Earth becomes a farm

Farmer takes a wife

Wife becomes a river and giver of life

Man becomes machine

Oil runs down his face

Machine becomes a man

With a bomb in the marketplace

As Mr. Simon seems to do so often, he finds room for the ominous, spiritual and playful almost in the same breath.  Later in the song, there’s a lyric: “I’m driving along in my automobile.  It’s a brand new pre-owned ’96 Ford.”

It’s Simcha Torah today, when Jewish tradition has celebrants reading the end of the Torah, with Moses’ death, then starting over with the creation of the universe.  Death gives way to rebirth, as hopefully (and effortfully) bombs in marketplaces will one day give way to rivers of life.

Here’s how the song goes.  Be sure to tell Paul I sent you:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdrrEpYhATM

 * (or is it that we’ve reached that time of year when we’re more likely to be outdoors when the sun is low to the horizon….I think it IS this time of year, but anyone who knows otherwise is welcome to leave a comment)