I Think of Gloucester, Blind

This poem alludes to Shakespeare's King Lear. In Berry's poem, we see flawed Gloucester, blind, ready to cast himself from a cliff. What he doesn't realize is that he is about to encounter a rebirth of sorts. And despite the incredibly tense language and imagery, I hear in it a bright ray of hope, which may explain the several allusions to the hymn "Christ the Lord is Risen Today" that appear throughout. (Note for directors and singers: I composed this piece as a prelude to "The Little Stream Sings," which can begin without a break attacca as the cello sustains its high harmonics. The idea is that this piece expresses the need for rebirth which is then fulfilled in the second piece.)