That's a Tough Job

Seen at a former cloistered community, the Convent of St Cecilia* in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, now housing an exhibition of art called Room Tones.

An excellent opportunity, then, to quote a part of "Anthem for St Cecilia's Day," by W. H. Auden:

Anthem for St Cecilia's Day

In a garden shady this holy lady
With reverent cadence and subtle psalm,
Like a black swan as death came on
Poured forth her song in perfect calm:
And by ocean's margin this innocent virgin
Constructed an organ to enlarge her prayer,
And notes tremendous from her great engine
Thundered out on the Roman air.

Blonde Aphrodite rose up excited,
Moved to delight by the melody,
White as an orchid she rode quite naked
In an oyster shell on top of the sea;
At sounds so entrancing the angels dancing
Came out of their trance into time again,
And around the wicked in Hell's abysses
The huge flame flickered and eased their pain.

* When she was dying, the woman remembered as St Cecilia sang to God, and those who saw her die knew instantly that she had become a saint. Her martyrdom came horribly in the year 230 A.D. -- an executioner botched his job and left her to die after trying to chop off her head three times. She lingered for three days, according to legend and the records of the Catholic Church. She sang to God as she died, and thus became the patron saint of musicians and church music. Her day is November 22nd.