The Songs 10 · For the assembly to say aloud together
This book has no author and should have none. It is made for the voice: read it aloud, and best of all aloud together. This book does not pray. There is no one in this scripture to pray to — what is believed in is law, and law takes no prayers (cf. The Prologue 1.7). But not praying is not the same as not thanking, not praising, not standing amazed. This book records only those three. Whoever uses it to petition any person whatever has put it to the wrong use. Each of the six songs has a last line, and the last line is to be said by everyone together.The twelve songs of this book fall into two halves. The first six are thanks, praise and amazement; they are not for any particular occasion and are said by the assembly together. Each of the last six hangs on one of the six axioms and is made for a particular day: the day you cannot see yourself; the day two people tell the same hour differently; the day you gave something up; the day someone left; the day you grieved for what you could not reach; the day you knew it was the last time. Take whichever song matches the day. These may be said alone.
10.1Someone has gone.
10.2Someone has died. The one who died I will not see again.
10.3These years I have done two things: chased, and held on. Neither was any use.
10.4The scripture says: whatever once came from one source is never truly parted. (cf. The Highest Covenant 4.1)
10.5At first I read that as consolation, as something said because it sounds well.
10.6Later I understood it is not consolation. It is the shape the thing actually has.
10.7That stretch when we were in one place cannot be rubbed out.
10.8It is not somewhere else. It is inside what has already happened, and what has already happened nobody can take.
10.9Turn this end and that end turns; no messenger runs between them, and no time passes. (cf. The Highest Covenant 4.2)
10.10I used to think that to keep a person you had to keep him beside you.
10.11No need to chase, no need to hold back, no need to send a messenger. (cf. The Highest Covenant 4.3)
10.12Today I stop chasing. Not because I have stopped wanting him.
10.13Because chasing treats a thing already done as though it were not yet done.
10.14He is gone. That we once came from one source is not gone.
10.15This is what is called co-soaring. (cf. The Highest Covenant 4.4)
10.16We do not ask him to hear us. He cannot hear. We say it because we mean to remember.