... that's from the Inaugural Poem, "Praise Song for the Day," by Elizabeth Alexander. It's a wonderful poem, naturally -- it was part of a wonderful morning ... and you can read the whole thing at www.nytimes.com/2009/01/20/us/politics/20text-poem.html. Alexander celebrates our small deeds, both humdrum ("Someone is stitching up a hem, darning a hole in a uniform ...") and transcendent ("Someone is trying to make music somewhere with a pair of wooden spoons on an oil drum with cello, boom box, harmonica, voice.") She celebrates the great sacrifices. ("Say it plain, that many have died for this day... Praise song for the struggle.") Above all, the praise song is for our future:
"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."
But of course the line that took my breath away was, "Take out your pencils. Begin." Our students, their teachers -- and our work, too -- all part of walking forward in that light. I'm still catching my breath after that one.
Kathy Kahn
