There are moments in life when words elude us. I myself expected Tuesday to be one of them, as I greeted the day in such exuberant spirits, practically tasting the sense of renewal and possibility in the air. Somewhere between the tears and the joyful celebration, these came from an overflowing heart.
I'd love to hear some of your reflections and inspirations from Tuesday's historic Inauguration, too, as we all continue to weave together this beautiful tapestry of hope.
The Cup of Hope
On this morning,
this morning,
birthed by a prolonged and pregnant darkness,
I step out into the electric blast
where heaven is stealing slowly across the sky --
dancing with a golden dawn that moves with such determined grace
across a bleak and wintry vault.
But I do not feel the cold,
only the blessing of the snow's silent embrace
and the prayer of the trees,
their frosted branches extended in some grand anticipation,
like the waiting arms of the world,
palms cupped to hold the source of so much pristine promise.
Beneath my feet, the soundlessness of slumbering earth
pulls me deep.
And I am struck by a presence
as piercing as the starlings' call
though they, too, have abandonned
this stark and leafless morn,
for the sweeter song that plays.
If I pause long enough,
I believe I will hear them --
those preternatural voices,
ancients and sages,
poets and visionaries,
the luminous ones who have midwifed
the arrival of our brave and august son.
And as I join my footsteps with theirs,
the thousands who have marched before
under the burden of injustice and indignity,
the thousands who have bled before,
spilling light from an unconquerable heart
and speaking truth from freedom's fierce imperative,
I shed my future longing,
release my broken dreams.
On this magnificent morning,
this extravagantly improbable day
I am walking deep in winter
with my eyes on the rosebud in spring.
- Naila Francis
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Stirring and lovely, Naila. Thank you.
Posted by: Teri Breier | January 26, 2009 at 01:34 PM
Just another day in my corner of the world--babysitting grandchildren, attending to their snacks and diapers, settling squabbles--while in the background, much as a dream scene, the television projected immages so remarkable that every second was succulent with change, hope, promise for these four little children in my charge. As I put them to bed that night, I reflected on what had transpired. Just another day in our lives. A transformation in the life of every person on earth. What will we make of it? Let us keep each day polished bright, not let even one moment become jaded or tarnished. Anything is possible.
Posted by: Peggy | January 24, 2009 at 02:13 PM
Naila,
That was absolutely magnificent. Your joy was and is shared by so many the world over. It is a celebration of what is brightest in humanity and proof that good can prevail. The electric energy you describe was felt all the way in Paris, France and I am sure in every other corner of the world as well.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts in such beautiful words.
With admiration,
Dawn
Posted by: Dawn | January 23, 2009 at 10:43 AM