Sixteen Swans

Sixteen Swans

Rising in our morning
might we find a theme
an image which gathers 
 ragged edges of  day..

Before engaging take pains
 reject defective creations..
 surrender to one theme
 emerging from shadow..

Then to survey many
mosaic pieces fallen..
and find on the floor
theme patterns reflect..

Must know our theme
is well hidden
arrives in variations
through ambiguous day..

Then in our depths
in ecstasy we know
the theme we created
is our creator also..

Recapitulation at evening
a symphony complete..
we explosively repeat:
Now it is good...!

"Today I saw sixteen swans.

God, what beauty!  They 

circled over me for a long

time.  Disappeared into the

solar haze like a silver

ribbon."

--Jean Sibelius
while composing his
5th Symphony..
the ascending swans 
his theme...