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.
Thanks to the New York Times and CQ Transcriptions
Why is everything about black or white. Can we just get past this and discuss merit. I am proud a man half black AND half white was elected by us so why is the only thing discussed is that he is African-American. His white heritage is just as important! His merit as a person should be how we view him. The reverse racism that is allowed in this country is appalling. The media make it even worse.
ReplyDeleteAn interesting point. It seems to me Alexander's poems does an unusually good job of avoiding any sort of racial language. And, Obama himself didn't make much of race today either.
ReplyDelete"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."
ReplyDeleteThis is the portion of the poem (when you read between the lines without a great deal of imagination) that deals with the issue of the black man struggling through the tyranny of slavery and servitude to now become the president of the United States. If this was a story of a man rising up through plain and humble beginnings (like Abraham Lincoln) without the distinction of race or color being added as is obvious from these verses, I would applaud it. Blacks want to claim Obama as "one of theirs" when he is indeed half black and half white. His success as a candidate has been tainted because as "one of theirs" 96% of all blacks voted for Obama. This was not because of the eloquence of his speech or his smooth articulate manner but simply because he was "one of theirs". I really do applaud Obama as not playing the race card. I really do believe him to be the right man for the job, regardless of his race or color. I sincerely hope he sets a new standard and walks in integrity, unlike his previous two predecessors. I am, however, extremely skeptical that he will be able to change either the political system (corrupt as it is) the one world government (the trilateral commission dictating world policy and finances) and, most importantly, the rapidly decaying moral fabric of this nation and the world.
Dean,
ReplyDeleteWhat struck me most about the poem was the LOVE LOVE! How funny it is, considering the last Alexander poem you wrote about, ARS POETICA #100: I BELIEVE ("not all poems are about love love and i'm sorry the dog died.)
I wonder if Alexander repeated this lovely word in direct response to her previous work? Or perhaps, while not all poems are about love, she means to say that the most meaningfully human ones ultimately are?
And finally...love to see you're on fire with the recent posts! So much for not having enough time... (:
Good catch, Liz, about the "love, love" comment. I hadn't thought about that, but you're exactly right. Very interesting . . .
ReplyDelete