In 2000, I was asked by violinist Peter Stein to write a piece for a project based on the famous “Seven Last Words of Christ” which was supposed to combine the artwork by Rolf Stein, his father, with compositions by J.S. Bach, Peter Knell and myself.

Coincidentally, I had a personal experience witnessing a person’s last days on top of Mount Scopus in Jerusalem–a person that was very dear to my mother-in-law, Jean Wong. I decided to use her rendering of her very touching poem in my piece:

Your eyes—
light shining, blue radiant.
Mine—veiled, duller, nothing revealed.
Meeting our mouths sprung into laughter.
We danced the dance, headlong exploring
limitless secrets, unraveling mysteries.
Sisters—
we shared and not sharing
we fought.
Our fierce rage unsheathed,
sweetly we surrendered.
Now the river stands between us,
our eyes no longer flashing,
tears only falling into the stream,
churning, whirling,
disappearing and resurfacing,
thru kalpas and eons
one hundred thousand manifestations,
warriors and courtesans,
mountains and palm trees.
My sister, mother, child and friend,
how can I bear to let you go?
But I see your determined eye.
“On to the other shore!” is your mandate.
Gya te… then go… in peace. It’s ok.
I’ll catch up with you.

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Creation/revision date: 2001

Duration: 10’30”

Premiere: Burbach-Holzhausen. April 1, 2001 by Peter Stein

Publisher: peermusic

 

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