I thought this was beautiful, and true, and right for the day. Well done to Elizabeth Alexander.
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Praise song for the day
The inaugural poem by Elizabeth Alexander
Praise song for the day.
Each day we go about our business, walking past each other, catching each others’ eyes or not, about to speak or speaking. All about us is noise. All about us is noise and bramble, thorn and din, each one of our ancestors on our tongues. Someone is stitching up a hem, darning a hole in a uniform, patching a tire, repairing the things in need of repair.
Someone is trying to make music somewhere with a pair of wooden spoons on an oil drum with cello, boom box, harmonica, voice.
A woman and her son wait for the bus.
A farmer considers the changing sky; A teacher says, ‘Take out your pencils. Begin.’
We encounter each other in words, Words spiny or smooth, whispered or declaimed; Words to consider, reconsider.
We cross dirt roads and highways that mark the will of someone and then others who said, ‘I need to see what’s on the other side; I know there’s something better down the road.’
We need to find a place where we are safe; We walk into that which we cannot yet see.
Say it plain, that many have died for this day. Sing the names of the dead who brought us here, who laid the train tracks, raised the bridges, picked the cotton and the lettuce, built brick by brick the glittering edifices they would then keep clean and work inside of.
Praise song for struggle; praise song for the day. Praise song for every hand-lettered sign; The figuring it out at kitchen tables.
Some live by ‘Love thy neighbor as thy self.’
Others by “first do no harm,” or “take no more than you need.”
What if the mightiest word is love, love beyond marital, filial, national. Love that casts a widening pool of light. Love with no need to preempt grievance.
In today’s sharp sparkle, this winter air, anything can be made, any sentence begun.
On the brink, on the brim, on the cusp — praise song for walking forward in that light.
I really liked it too – and I thought she did a great job reading it — with the pauses, etc.
Actually I friggin love this poem. Just had to say. I’ve listened to it like three times again today.
Rhea brought copies of the poem to class yesterday. We read it, and commented on the piece and the delivery.
Note: the first version that went up on the web doesn’t show the proper line-breaks. Here’s a link to the poem @ Newsweek.
¡Felicidades por esta semana llena de esperanza!
How I envy the poets who use a little to say a lot.This election and this poet have changed my perception. I am an ancient liberal with a spurt of new energy.
I told T I didn’t know how Alexander would pull this off. Such a daunting task to be comfortable with the expressions of hope and to tie it all together with the mention of all the little things we hardly notice but all know. I really liked the line “built brick by brick the glittering edifices they would then keep clean and work inside of.”
I love the way words work.
My favorite line is, “A farmer considers the changing sky.” But for me the most powerful line is, “Love with no need to preempt grievance.” Wow. Talk about concise.
Yes.
Among other stuff, I also like this:
“We walk into that which we cannot yet see.”
And then there’s the end:
“In today’s sharp sparkle, this winter air,
any thing can be made, any sentence begun.
On the brink, on the brim, on the cusp,
praise song for walking forward in that light.”