I appreciate a good poem. I know I'll be reciting lines.
The breaks are mine, to the way I heard her recite. Verse one.
Amanda Gorman:
When day comes
we ask ourselves where can we find light
in this never-ending shade?
The loss we carry
a sea we must wade.
We’ve braved the belly of the beast.
We’ve learned that quiet
isn’t always peace.
In the norms and notions of what just is
isn’t always justice.
And yet, the dawn is ours before we knew it.
Somehow we do it.
Somehow we’ve weathered
witnessed a nation that isn’t broken
but simply unfinished.
We, the successors of a country and a time
where a skinny black girl
descended from slaves
and raised by a single mother
can dream of becoming president
only to find herself reciting for one.
The hill we climb
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- Intrinsic
- Advanced Grower
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Karma Hippie
- Has bestowed Karma : 1751 times
- Received Karma : 1537 times
- Posts: 7656
- Joined: Thu May 21, 2009 10:51 am
The hill we climb
The youngest presidential inaugural poet in US history on Toni Morrison, the power of language and her debut children’s book
Amanda Gorman
Sat 25 Sep 2021 05.00 EDT
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/ ... he-capitol
Amanda Gorman
Sat 25 Sep 2021 05.00 EDT
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/ ... he-capitol
...
It was such an honour to be chosen to perform at the inauguration of President Biden. Following in the footsteps of such legendary poets as Maya Angelou, Elizabeth Alexander and Richard Blanco was an amazing opportunity, but one that became even more critical after the Capitol insurrection. After that day, the vision of the poem I was crafting required a new level of depth. I wanted my words to re-sanctify the steps of the Capitol.
...
The book I reread
I reread the Iliad this past year, which really hit differently this time. It’s an epic tale about a plague that blights an army for their leader’s chauvinism and short-sightedness. It felt close to home.