A nation that isn't broken, but simply unfinished

Today we all sat and watched the inauguration of President Joseph Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris. I will admit a cried. I cried listening to Lady Gaga sing the National Anthem. I cried at the swearings in, I cried at Amazing Grace, I cried at the benediction, and I was completely bowled over (and yes, cried) when Amanda Gorman read her poem, "The Hill We Climb". 

The entire thing was so hopeful. Expressions of concern and unity even for those who disagree with this new administration. An acknowledgement that dissent is a fundamental cornerstone of the United State of America. A stand for truth and good policy over personality and demagoguery. A sense of civility. And overt and tacit messages that everyone, regardless of color, belief, economic status, or gender has a place in our society. A valuable place. And that by making a place for everyone we are all better for it. 

The inauguration ceremony was a brief picture of what the United States can look like if we work together to make it so. There was a place for beauty and music and poetry and Bernie's mittens. 

If you were as taken with Ms. Gorman as I was, I thought I would share some from another poem which she wrote. This is from the poem, "In This Place (An American Lyric)". You can click on the link to read the whole thing.

"
She knows hope is like a stubborn


ship gripping a dock,

a truth: that you can’t stop a dreamer

or knock down a dream.         



How could this not be her city

su nación

our country

our America,

our American lyric to write—

a poem by the people, the poor,

the Protestant, the Muslim, the Jew,

the native, the immigrant,

the black, the brown, the blind, the brave,

the undocumented and undeterred,

the woman, the man, the nonbinary,

the white, the trans,

the ally to all of the above

and more?

Tyrants fear the poet.

Now that we know it

we can’t blow it.

We owe it

to show it

not slow it

although it

hurts to sew it

when the world

skirts below it."

Tyrants fear the poet. It says a lot. Beauty with words, art, nature, actions all point to Truth, and Truth is something that tyrants cannot abide. I applaud an administration who makes room for poets.

The rest of the day felt a bit like a holiday around here. Everyone felt it. The younger people even voluntarily turned on NPR and spent the afternoon listening to it as they did other things. They were so entranced by what they saw that morning they wanted it to continue. Later in the day, when I asked L. if she knew how old Amanda Gorman was, thinking it would inspire my budding writer, she looked at me and blithely said, "Twenty-two."

"How did you know that?" I asked.

"Oh, we listened to an interview with her this afternoon. She seems really nice." 

I guess my work here is done.

A couple of last comments, because I have heard a couple of sentiments repeated today. 1. I am adamantly against abortion. But I also think that there are not really any issues that are absolutely black and white even if we think they are. I also believe that the frontal attack on abortion did far more harm than good, ultimately doing harm. Don't bother to try to debate me on this because I'm not going to bite. 2. What on earth is this hysteria over gas prices? Often it is said in the same sentence as bemoaning the number of babies who will be killed. Um, really? You see gas prices on a par with human life? Even if you don't, that is certainly what it sounds like when this is your second biggest concern over the state of our nation. Forget black people being killed, let's make sure to keep gas prices low. Frankly, if it means we can make a dent in cleaning up the mess we have made in the environment, I'll pay higher gas prices... and I'm filling up a 15-passenger van. We all need to make sacrifices to undo the harm that we have allowed to be done. 

Sorry, I'll stop the rant there. To put you back into a more celebratory mood, do a search of Bernie Sanders and his mittens memes. It will be worth it. Me? I'll be sitting here relishing the return to complete and coherent sentences.