For the Graduates

I know there are one or two of you who read this. A lot of the rest of you are Kenyon Grads, so this will make sense.

I'll leave you with one thing that was passed to me by the estimable Mike Ludders (pass it on, boys, that's the game I want you to learn, pass it on).

The other is a new one, but seemed right.


"Closing Time"
By Leonard Cohen
(ignore the "groovy-time video, listen to the song. Tell me if it isn't about the end your time at Kenyon. Not ending time generally, but I feel like each line can be synched up with a specific Kenyon moment for me---anyone else get that?)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSRQu5sNcyU

(lyrics)
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/leonardcohen/closingtime.html


The second is "Thousands are Sailing" by The Pogues.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-OnS3LPt0w

Which in part, links up a bit with my experience of leaving Kenyon on Graduation day, one year ago.

"Then we said goodnight to broadway
Giving it our best regards
Tipped our hats to mister cohen
Dear old times squares favorite bard

Then we raised a glass to jfk
And a dozen more besides
When I got back to my empty room
I suppose I must have cried

Thousands are sailing
Across the western ocean
Where the hand of opportunity
Draws tickets in a lottery
Where eer we go, we celebrate
The land that makes us refugees
From fear of priests with empty plates
From guilt and weeping effigies
And we dance"