I. Prelude

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II. in medio
quid sunt plagae istae
quid sunt plagae istae in medio manuum tuarum
in medio
quid sunt plagae istae
quid sunt plagae istae in medio manuum nostrarum

II. in the midst
what are those wounds
what are those wounds in the midst of your hands
in the midst
what are those wounds
what are those wounds in the midst of our hands

III. Her beacon-hand beckons
Her beacon-hand beckons:
give
give to me
those yearning to breathe free
tempest-tossed they cannot see
what lies beyond the olive tree
whose branch was lost amid the pleas
for mercy, mercy
give
give to me
your tired fighters fleeing flying
from the
from the
from
let them
i will be your refuge
i will be your refuge
i will be
i will be
we will be
we will

IV. ever ever ever
ever ever ever
in the window sills or
the beveled edges
of the aging wooden frames that hold
old photographs
hands folded
folded
gently in her lap
ever ever
in the crevices
the never-ending efforts of
the grandmother's tendons tending
to her bread and empty chairs
left for Elijahs
where are they now
in caverna
in caverna

V. Litany of the Displaced
The choir speaks global figures of internal displacement, sourced from the Internal
Displacement Monitoring Centre (http://www.internal-displacement.org/global-figures —
accessed 01/03/2016). The numbers spoken are the numbers of internally displaced persons
by country, in ascending order. These are people, some of whom may have legal refugee status,
who have been displaced within their own country due to armed conflict, situations of
generalized violence or violations of human rights.

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VI. i will hold you

i would hold you
i would hold you
ever ever will i hold you
ever ever will i enfold you
in medio
in medio
in medio
in medio
in medio manuum tuarum

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