And to the angels of the Community at Eastern Mennonite University

And to the angels of the Community at Eastern Mennonite University

Yes my dear friends there are angels among us,
though to quote a poet of late,
some of them done drug their wings through the dirty mire,
some through the burning fire,
and some just got their wings stuck in the mud.

Well to all you angels, listen! 

I am standing at the door knocking.
If you hear my voice and open the door
I will come and eat with you
And you with me.

For those who do not have eyes to see
For those who do not have ears to hear
The meaning of these simple words
Is really quite clear:

Get on down to the cafeteria,
Go check out the campus snack shop
Head for the Little Grill
El Charros, Jaliscos, Luigis,
Punk n Bru’s, The Joshua Wilton House,
The Joshua Wilton House?
Well then make it the trailer at the L and S,
The Fat Cats Café and Tavern on Port Republic
Or maybe the Blue Stone Inn.
But no matter where
Make sure you sit down and grab a bite,
Take a coffee,
Head for a brunch.
It is time for some folks
To sit down with other folks
And have a lunch.

The way it looks from way out here
you educated folk have taken yourselves far too seriously.

When I say I stand and knock so we can go eat
What I mean is this.

Get out of your department
Cancel a bunch of committees
Go find somebody different
And tell each other stories.

A wise old, white haired teacher angel,
Who got famous for writing that E=MC2,
Once said,
“I do not teach.
I create the environment where learning is possible.”

Now that would be a vision,
A community of learning,
Not an acreditated, evaluated, gradated, transformated, globalized-village-ated
Medicated-Education.
Not a standarized, curriculumized, pasteurized vaporzied, and metamucilized,
Rocco, Wampler, Purduized and line itemized Degrees.

Oh could there be such a place as this
A community of learning?
A real learning community?
Where round the table we all sit.

That is, even Zaccheus,
And that wild woman at the water fountain,
They all went out eat,
Why can’t we?

Oh give me a home
Where professors love to roam
Far outside their safe little stays.

Where students sit for a good long while,
Lunchin’ cross colors and all kind of styles
And even invite their Bible prof to play.

Where ideas spring wings
Diversity sings
And the Board of Education requires all Presidents
To raise an equal amount of money for need based student scholarships
As they have raised for buildings to bounce balls in.
Hey it don’t rhyme
But Truth shall not be contained in a single poetic form!!

To the angels at EMU, to the angels in the ‘Burg

It is a simple thing
To create this community way
It requires more time for coffee and brunch
And taking yourself far less seriously.

So forget the committees
And forget all them grades
I am knockin’ at the door
Don’t run from me babe.

When I come in
There’s only one thing I expect to do
That is to sit down,
You hear me now,
I am going to sit right down
And have lunch with you.

Is this gig about over? Cause I am ready for my coffee.