Friday, February 19, 2021

Four links of chain

Mary had three links of chain,
and on every link was Jesus' name
-- old person-of-color spiritual

Can we get a rosariform poem down to three links?
  • 8 links: abca dced fegf hgbh
  • 7 links: abca dced fegf bg
  • 6 links: abca dced febf
  • 5 links: abca dced be
  • 4 links: abca dcbd
  • 3 links: abca bc
  • 2 links: abba
  • 1 link: aa
Technically, the number of links can be whittled down all the way to one, but I think the scheme ceases to be interesting with fewer than four. I mean, the two- and three-link varieties are nothing but the components of a Petrarchan sonnet, and one link is obviously no chain at all.

Four links of chain it is, then, since one wants to start small before working all the way up to a full 54-link (108-line) mala.

And, having tasked myself with composing a prayer to be repeated, can it be any surprise to whom I should turn for inspiration?

Unconquer'd Joan, O maiden brave,
To thee be this petition pray'd,
That we may see, through mist and dark,
Thy lily-spangl'd banner wave,
And, rising from the dust, be men!
That from thy flaming soul a spark
Ignite our hearts. O blessed Maid
Of Heaven, pray for us! Amen.

2 comments:

S.K. Orr said...

Ok, this is the fourth time in as many days that I've tried to post this comment....so here goes again.

I think the prayer is magnificent. Beautiful in the masculine sense, powerful, reverent, and focused. I'm going to try to commit it to memory, and pray it on my walks, along with my other prayers.

Wm Jas Tychonievich said...

I’ve turned on comment moderation to see if that solves the problem. It seems to have, at least in this case.

Rationalized whim

On March 24, I posted " Turning suns into black holes ," about syncs that had drawn my attention to The Peyote Dance , Helen Weave...