Ode to joy

Photo Credit:

Mel Schockner

The pictures and poetry in this sight are protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. The pictures and poetry may not be copied or reprinted for commercial gain or profit. Short quotations or occasional page copying for personal or group study is permitted and encouraged. Permission will be granted upon request.

West Texas juniper - H 88" W 56" D32" - 1998

the first nine notes of

Beethoven's Ode to Joy...

Rushing Wind

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Are our lives simply crafted
by the winds of circumstance,
who is really playing
the tune to which we dance?
What's to stop our caving in
to the pressures round about,
in the midst of twisting struggles
why won't the umpire call time out?

In one way or another
we all wrestle in a war,
Yet it seems like other people
sail through life without a scar.
Be assured that every soul
has grown up in the wind,
storms they surely weather
but the difference lies within.

Storms can make us stronger
if our focus is beyond
the winds of circumstances
and the thunder of the song.

If our eyes rest on the nail scars
of the hands that keep us strong,
as we listen to Him playing
on our hearts His joyful song,

That sings of rest and healing
and forgiveness of our sin,
then from the wounds of battle
pours His joyful song within.

This is a sculpture of music made visible. Beginning with fluid movement emanating from instruments comprising the base, spirals and twists converge then diverge into the five lines of the musical score. The notes suspended upon the lines of the score are those of the famous passage of Beethoven's ninth symphony, "Ode To Joy". The base is sculpted from an incredibly large specimen of pure mesquite burl (note the five octaves of piano keys and lifesize violin). The sculpture itself is carved from an ancient juniper tree found hanging on the crumbling remains of a lone limestone butte in a remote corner of the Texas Panhandle. This remnant of a mesa overlooks the confluence of Tule Creek and Palo Duro Canyon, one of the battle sites of the Commanche Indian tribe and Colonel Ronald S. McKenzie. Years of fierce southwesterly winds have shaped and molded this tree into a massive medley of fluid waves and twists. The twists and flowing lines no longer simply evidencing the ten centuries of howling winds but now conveying a beloved melody. A person who reads music can easily identify the tune. This piece, standing over seven feet in height, is exceptionally striking if placed on a three foot cube in a room with a high ceiling. The contrast between weathered wood and rich hand polish, plays on the imagination much like music playing on the heart. This sculpture would also be a great addition to any corporate collection, it has proved to be a real "crowd stopper" at shows, evoking deep emotion and great interest from the viewers.