If I am to believe that God is other people, or that humans reflect the existence of God, what does that mean for ordinary moments? Can something as simple as a handshake be sacred?
I wrote this poem one night after an open mic, feeling grateful for those who listen intently to my music. Honest art reveals an intimate relationship to the world, making the conversations following a performance feel precious and vulnerable. As Carl Jung suggests, the artist shapes the collective unconscious of humankind. Thus, the greatest gift one can receive as an artist is attention--not to serve the ego but to build a pathway between two fragments of a greater consciousness.
This poem was given an acousmatic setting for Nicholas Perry Clark and UMKC Musica Nova's Spring '24 program, "God and Other Needs."

Psalm Of Recognition

Gracie Caggiano