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<div>Thanks, Milan, for sharing this iteration of your post-inauguration cogitation and contemplation. Helps all of us in our own reflection and call to action.</div><div><br></div><div>Ellie :)</div><div>elliestock@aol.com</div><div><br></div>
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On Friday, January 29, 2021, 12:58:05 AM CST, Milan Hamilton via OE <oe@lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote:
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<div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">I’ve been ruminating ang cogitating and contemplating on this poem night and day since the inauguration—this is likely about the tenth revision or refinement. It, like Amanda’s iteration of her vision of our tattered democracy , will likely never be finished.<br></div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">Ode to Amanda<br></div><div dir="ltr">(contemplation on Amanda Gorman’s Inaugural Poem “The Hill We Climb”)<br></div><div dir="ltr">As I poured through your words<br></div><div dir="ltr">Trying to find the light in the never-ending shade<br></div><div dir="ltr">You spoke of--<br></div><div dir="ltr">In my jaded view<br></div><div dir="ltr">(After all I’m only 84 today—you’re already twenty-three)<br></div><div dir="ltr">In my jaded view I say,<br></div><div dir="ltr">The beast’s belly seemed to me a devouring monster,<br></div><div dir="ltr">Leading me to a wallowing in my own sense of<br></div><div dir="ltr">Being wronged by friend and foe alike.<br></div><div dir="ltr">This is the hill we must climb?<br></div><div dir="ltr">Tell us how to do it! I’m not so sure we knew it!<br></div><div dir="ltr">Tell us how the nation isn’t broken—how to finish it.<br></div><div dir="ltr">Skinny black girl from slaves descended—tell us<br></div><div dir="ltr">Privileged whiteys, our privilege now up-ended<br></div><div dir="ltr">How to heal the brokenness we pretended not to know<br></div><div dir="ltr">Was in our DNA.<br></div><div dir="ltr">We tried to turn our particular democracy into autocracy,<br></div><div dir="ltr">Hide behind our masks of hypocrisy, make a mockery of<br></div><div dir="ltr">Our Hippocratic oath to defend the Constitution,<br></div><div dir="ltr">Allow our institutions up-ended by insurrectionists<br></div><div dir="ltr">Masquerading as resurrectionists.<br></div><div dir="ltr">We heard you say the dream was delayed but not defeated.<br></div><div dir="ltr">Tell us how to avoid disaster and history repeated,<br></div><div dir="ltr">How the cascading catastrophes we see approaching,<br></div><div dir="ltr">And the results of our encroaching and<br></div><div dir="ltr">Nature’s fierce response to our ravenous rapacity<br></div><div dir="ltr">Will not be our ending.<br></div><div dir="ltr">You have such hope,<br></div><div dir="ltr">Skinny black girl--<br></div><div dir="ltr">Not so skinny anymore,<br></div><div dir="ltr">You raise your voice and body to challenge us as a country<br></div><div dir="ltr">To rise up and recognize our inaction,<br></div><div dir="ltr">That our inertia will be our legacy.<br></div><div dir="ltr">But if we find strength in mercy and justice,<br></div><div dir="ltr">We will not settle for “just what is”<br></div><div dir="ltr">And love will no longer be a fantasy.<br></div><div dir="ltr">The poem is yours<br></div><div dir="ltr">But the last word will be ours if we pay attention,<br></div><div dir="ltr">Not give up our election to allow truth and justice<br></div><div dir="ltr">The final mention.<br></div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">Milan Hamilton<br></div><div dir="ltr">January 25, 2021<br></div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">Sent from my iPad<br></div><div dir="ltr">_______________________________________________<br></div><div dir="ltr">OE mailing list<br></div><div dir="ltr"><a href="mailto:OE@lists.wedgeblade.net" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">OE@lists.wedgeblade.net</a><br></div><div dir="ltr"><a href="http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/oe-wedgeblade.net" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/oe-wedgeblade.net</a><br></div></div>
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