Happy Inauguration Day!

I wanted to share a poem that I read today over at The Writer's Almanac; it's by Barack Obama's Inaugural Poet, Elizabeth Alexander:

Ars Poetica #100: I Believe

Poetry, I tell my students,
is idiosyncratic. Poetry
is where we are ourselves,
(though Sterling Brown said
"Every 'I' is a dramatic 'I'")
digging in the clam flats
for the shell that snaps,
emptying the proverbial pocketbook.
Poetry is what you find
in the dirt in the corner,
overhear on the bus, God
in the details, the only way
to get from here to there.
Poetry (and now my voice is rising)
is not all love, love, love
and I'm sorry the dog died.
Poetry (here I hear myself loudest)
is the human voice,
and are we not of interest to each other?

Okay, time to pour another cup of coffee, grab my knitting, and turn on the tv....it's gonna be a darn good day!

Comments

[Alexis]

Hooray!!! Thanks for sharing that poem. Hooray!!!

[Natalie]

I am sidled up to the TV doing exactly the same thing. So excited.

Thank you for sharing the beautiful words of Elizabeth Alexander.

[Lecia]

Thanks for this poem Paige!! Teary and hopeful here in Seattle.

[heather jane]

Indeed it is!! Indeed it is.

[jessica]

Elizabeth Alexander rocks...well basically this entire day rocks!

[Amy]

It was, wasn't it.

[knittymama]

Fabulous!!! Both the poem and yesterday! Thanks for sharing.

[Anna of helylle]

I long for the day when every government has a Ministry of poetry, wouldn't that be great?

[alison]

That's a pretty good poem