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Question: With all the talk about the poet at the inauguration yesterday!?
I thought I'd remind everyone of Maya Angelou's words at Clinton's first inauguration:

That's a poem of hope and praise, not trite or cliche, and I remember she presented it with such strength and hope for our future!.

Inaugural Poem
Maya Angelou
20 January 1993

A Rock, A River, A Tree
Hosts to species long since departed,
Marked the mastodon!.

The dinosaur, who left dry tokens
Of their sojourn here
On our planet floor,
Any broad alarm of their hastening doom
Is lost in the gloom of dust and ages!.

But today, the Rock cries out to us, clearly, forcefully,
Come, you may stand upon my
Back and face your distant destiny,
But seek no haven in my shadow!.

I will give you no more hiding place down here!.

You, created only a little lower than
The angels, have crouched too long in
The bruising darkness,
Have lain too long
Face down in ignorance!.

Your mouths spilling words
Armed for slaughter!.

The Rock cries out today, you may stand on me,
But do not hide your face!.

Across the wall of the world,
A River sings a beautiful song,
Come rest here by my side!.

Each of you a bordered country,
Delicate and strangely made proud,
Yet thrusting perpetually under siege!.

Your armed struggles for profit
Have left collars of waste upon
My shore, currents of debris upon my breast!.

Yet, today I call you to my riverside,
If you will study war no more!. Come,

Clad in peace and I will sing the songs
The Creator gave to me when I and the
Tree and the stone were one!.

Before cynicism was a bloody sear across your
Brow and when you yet knew you still
Knew nothing!.

The River sings and sings on!.

There is a true yearning to respond to
The singing River and the wise Rock!.

So say the Asian, the Hispanic, the Jew
The African and Native American, the Sioux,
The Catholic, the Muslim, the French, the Greek
The Irish, the Rabbi, the Priest, the Sheikh,
The Gay, the Straight, the Preacher,
The privileged, the homeless, the Teacher!.
They hear!. They all hear
The speaking of the Tree!.

Today, the first and last of every Tree
Speaks to humankind!. Come to me, here beside the River!.

Plant yourself beside me, here beside the River!.

Each of you, descendant of some passed
On traveller, has been paid for!.

You, who gave me my first name, you
Pawnee, Apache and Seneca, you
Cherokee Nation, who rested with me, then
Forced on bloody feet, left me to the employment of
Other seekers--desperate for gain,
Starving for gold!.

You, the Turk, the Swede, the German, the Scot !.!.!.
You the Ashanti, the Yoruba, the Kru, bought
Sold, stolen, arriving on a nightmare
Praying for a dream!.

Here, root yourselves beside me!.

I am the Tree planted by the River,
Which will not be moved!.

I, the Rock, I the River, I the Tree
I am yours--your Passages have been paid!.

Lift up your faces, you have a piercing need
For this bright morning dawning for you!.

History, despite its wrenching pain,
Cannot be unlived, and if faced
With courage, need not be lived again!.

Lift up your eyes upon
The day breaking for you!.

Give birth again
To the dream!.

Women, children, men,
Take it into the palms of your hands!.

Mold it into the shape of your most
Private need!. Sculpt it into
The image of your most public self!.
Lift up your hearts
Each new hour holds new chances
For new beginnings!.

Do not be wedded forever
To fear, yoked eternally
To brutishness!.

The horizon leans forward,
Offering you space to place new steps of change!.
Here, on the pulse of this fine day
You may have the courage
To look up and out upon me, the
Rock, the River, the Tree, your country!.

No less to Midas than the mendicant!.

No less to you now than the mastodon then!.

Here on the pulse of this new day
You may have the grace to look up and out
And into your sister's eyes, into
Your brother's face, your country
And say simply
Very simply
With hope
Good morning!.Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
Poets at inaugurations have had mixed results!. Robert Frost couldn't see the words and stumbled before reciting an old stand by of his which most people thought was better than the one he had written for Kennedy's inauguration!. Alexander will never have the speaking style or presence of Angelou, but she has a strong body of work!. Apparently they both knew each other from teaching at the University of Chicago!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

No disrespect to the woman yesterday, but this one is more fitting!. Well said!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

How I wish this poem would have been presented yesterday!.
A proud woman and poetess, of far-reaching words!.!.!.!Www@QuestionHome@Com

Well saidWww@QuestionHome@Com

Sorry, but I really do not like this poem at all and I had no intention whatsoever of watching the guff-fest of the inauguration!. From what I have heard, the woman who read yesterday was dreadful and boring too!.

With regard to Ms Angelou I don't find her work that inspiring!.

Mind you, there are artists who sell for millions I wouldn't paper my shed with!. Personal taste, eh!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

I didn't think they had a poem read at each inauguration!. I thought it was just because this time around its significant, obama being the first black president!. To be honest I think the whole thing,doing this everytime a new president is voted in, is a bit over the top and arrogant! I mean, The irish would never thinks about having bono and his army of arseholes singing at a big pantomime everytime we vote in a taoiseach!


rant over

ps
both poems were too long and dullWww@QuestionHome@Com

Let's not forget Miller Williams' , the third poet to recite his work at a presidential inauguration!. In 97 , for Clinton, he read his poem!. "Of History and Hope"

Obama is a poetry fan!. He chose her, Elizabeth Alexander, because he enjoys her work!. I'll bet he liked the poem!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Thanks for the reminder! After watching the inaugural thing again last night, I listened to the poem more closely!. The poem was very nice and fitting--her delivery of it was what killed it for me!.

(Now I see what some have seen in my trivial writings--punctuation is important! If you don't read it right, it can suck!)Www@QuestionHome@Com