Living Psalm 125

Living Psalms Book

Psalms in the form of words and art, reborn in the specific contexts of our world, privileging the voices of historically marginalized communities and those acting in solidarity with them.

Un boceto para el salmo 125 Alex Maldonado

A sketch for Psalm 125

There were about 7-10 mechanics
on the grass,
face up,
with their arms over their eyes
under the eucalyptus trees
of the airport workshops.
They could be seen
crossing the El Dorado highway.
Calm employees
with their lunch bags
now not hungry.
They no longer have rice
or potatoes
or chicken
or stews from yesterday
in plastic containers.
Today they are all lying
among the dry leaves
and insect urine.
Our actions
last less
than our objects.
Neither the trade belongs

[2] Versos de Antonio Machado, «A orillas del Duero», en Campos de Castilla.
to the market
nor does work value
to human activity.
When does our laziness change anything?

Life can be great
without great gestures .
Behind all efforts
what is useful for life is brief,
like a blueberry,
or like lunch juice;
like birds
like lilies,
calm
and surrounded by mountains.
It is right to eat
and right to sleep
tired of everything,
and for nothing.
We are coins lost in a house
or the goats we find,
finally,
drinking
by the river of the mountain,
crossing the oaks.
They are philosophers nourished
by convent soup
so that
impious scepters do not prevail
over the sound of sleep;
so that the righteous never
extend their hands
toward evil.
They trust,
unmovable.
They are proverbial mountains
for the ants
even when the lemon tree flower
does not come out
and the bananas fall
with the gale.
They do not extend their hands
to the evil of the scepters
and there they are
on the grass
and the eucalyptus trees.

[1] Taken from a story by Alice Munro

[4] Verse by Antonio Machado, “On the banks of the Duero”, in Fields of Castile.

Un boceto para el salmo 125 Alex Maldonado

Eran sobre 7-10 mecánicos
sobre la hierba,
bocarriba,
con los brazos sobre los ojos
bajo los eucaliptos
de los talleres del aeropuerto.
Se veían
al cruzar la autopista El Dorado.
Empleados tranquilos
con las bolsas del almuerzo
ahora sin hambre.
Ya no tienen arroz
ni papas
ni pollo
ni guisos de ayer
en los envases plásticos.
Hoy están todos tirados
entre las hojas secas
y orines de insectos.
Nuestras acciones
duran menos
que nuestros objetos.
Ni el oficio pertenece al mercado
ni la labor estima
la actividad humana.
¿Cuándo cambia algo
nuestra pereza?

La vida puede ser grande
sin grandes gestos.
Detrás de todos los esfuerzos
lo útil para la vida es breve,
como un arándano,
o como los jugos del almuerzo;
como los pájaros
como los lirios,
calmados
y cercados por montañas.
Es justo comer
y justo dormir
cansados de todo,
y por nada.
Somos monedas perdidas en una casa
o los cabros que encontramos,
finalmente,
abrevando
por el río del monte

[1] Tomado de un cuento de Alice Munro.
cruzando los robles.
Son filósofos nutridos
por sopa de convento
para que no prevalezcan
cetros impíos
sobre el rumor del sueño;
para que nunca los justos
extiendan sus manos
hacia la maldad.
Confían,
inconmovibles.
Son montañas proverbiales
para las hormigas
aún cuando la flor del limonero
no sale
y los plátanos caen
con el ventarrón.
No extienden sus manos
a la maldad de los cetros
y ahí están
sobre la grama
y los eucaliptos.

Living-Psalm-125_for-September-8-2024-Alex-Maldonado Download

Living Psalm for 125 was written by Alex Maldonado.

Living Psalms Book is created by UCC Witness & Worship Artists’ Group, a Network of UCC connected artists, activists and ministers bridging the worship and liturgy of the local church with witness and action in the community. Maren Tirabassi, editor

Logo is detail from Living Psalm 80 by Sophia Beardemphl, Redwoods, CA. Recovering from significant bullying, Sophia, age nine, read Psalm 80 and thought of brokenness that needs mending. She drew this broken and mended bowl.