I wrote this poem on the morning of President Biden and Vice President Harris' inaugurations. The "YOU" can be you. It can be anyone you choose it to be. For me, it is our country -- the precious youth of Amanda Gorman, the soul of our oldest Commander-in-Chief. It is as venerable as hope itself. As new as dawn.
I hope you wept when Kamala took her oath. I hope you stood and sang with Lady Gaga and JLo and Garth with your hands over your hearts. I hope you bowed your head and shouted Amen! and pumped your fist and texted your friends and wrote the poems of your life. #historyhasitseyesonus
INAUGURATION DAY, FOR AMERICA
Write the poem of your life and lead your days
into it.
Line by line
break
by break
Each sip of water another punctuation mark
in the long excursion from first formation to pen-
ultimate breath.
Write the poem.
Paint the art, invent the story, smooth the sleep
from your bed and shake the world
from your weary bones. Your eyes
have witnessed what despair your thought
could not contain, but your heart took it in.
Your watch has timed the rising of the bread;
a warm touch tells you it is true.
Take hold, hard, the hand of the woman behind you
and lift her higher. Together, fly
the white flag at the top
of the mountain. Tie a noose
to your old notions, to the notion you are old,
and hurl it off the other side.
As the rope uncoils in your grasp,
if you stagger a bit,
if you fall down,
that's okay. You are old.
You are as new as eggs. As young as the robin says you are.