Soprano
Her words are Latin
Old but still intact
With enough gathered force
To charm and captivate
Above all to move
Stir, bend, and break
Our hearts
As she sings the old words
In the Roman Catholic chapel
Where parabolas of grace
Surround and enshrine
A well-carved crucifix
Suspended in space
So lovely to watch
Her rich golden hair
Her face flexing the music’s
Slightest rise and fall
While she sits
Opposite the baritone
Plowing through the grief
In a requiem by Fauré
When she stands
Libretto in hand
We know her heart
Will soon pour forth
In the purest notes of all
What we have come here for
What we most urgently need
To save our life