Mary & Martha David Fuentes (b. 1959)
Lyrics by Nikki Grimes
II. I Must Prepare
MARTHA: The sun has yet to slip into the sky
and I am up. My toes the first to touch the
ground, my list of things to do
a ladder I am most anxious to climb.
MARY: By sunrise, I am awash in a sea of prayer,
my limbs languid,
my mind wandering the halls of heaven.
I dare not stir for fear of shattering
the perfect peace of Jehovah’s breath
in my ear.
But then suddenly mem’ry sends a ripple
through me . . .
BOTH: He is coming! He is coming!
I must prepare. I must prepare.
He is coming! He is coming!
MARTHA: I must prepare my house.
MARY: I must prepare my heart.
MARTHA: I must prepare my house.
MARY: I must prepare my heart.
MARTHA: I sweep the floors,
from corner to court yard,
secure in my busyness.
I clean the hearth, gather grasses to fuel the fire,
stir them ‘til the stones glow steady.
hot and ready for the cooking pot.
MARY: Early, I get to temple,
kneel until my knees complain,
tune my ear to the voice of the priest,
raise my voice in the psalms of ascent,
their melodies hidden in my heart.
Once home again, I meditate on Torah,
cleanse my mind so my Lord will find me,
cleanse my mind so my Lord will find me
as much a disciple as any.
BOTH: He is coming! He is coming!
I must prepare. I must prepare.
He is coming! He is coming!
MARTHA: I must prepare my house.
MARY: I must prepare my heart.
MARTHA: I must prepare my house.
MARY: I must prepare my heart.
MARTHA: Mary! Mary! Please gather the figs
for the sweet cakes I must make.
After all, they are his favorite.
MARY: Yes, Martha! I will be right there.
If only she would leave me to prayer!
Of course, as she is happy to remind me,
BOTH: “Even the prophet Elijah
required a bit of bread.”
MARY: Still, I would rather dine
on God’s holy word instead.
MARTHA: Work, work, work!
I chase the hours of the day
like the bandits they are,
sweat beading my brow.
With the disciples in tow,
there will be many mouths to feed.
Will I get everything done in time?
Will I get everything done in time?
MARY: Ah! The Rabbi will be here
soon enough. And he will bring God’s
word to me, God’s word to me.
BOTH: He is coming! He is coming!
I must prepare. I must prepare.
He is coming! He is coming!
MARTHA: I must prepare my house.
MARY: I must prepare my heart.
MARTHA: I must prepare my house.
MARY: I must prepare my heart.
BOTH: I must prepare my heart.