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Text File  |  1993-01-30  |  10KB  |  131 lines
  1. ╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
  2. ║        [read at the Presidential Inauguration, Jan. 20, 1993]              ║
  3. ║                                                                            ║
  4. ║                 On the Pulse of Morning                                    ║
  5. ║                 -----------------------                                    ║
  6. ║                                                                            ║
  7. ║  A Rock, A River, A Tree                                                   ║
  8. ║  Hosts to species long since departed,                                     ║
  9. ║  Marked the mastodon,                                                      ║
  10. ║  The dinosaur, who left dried tokens                                       ║
  11. ║  Of their sojourn here                                                     ║
  12. ║  On our planet floor,                                                      ║
  13. ║  Any broad alarm of their hastening doom                                   ║
  14. ║  Is lost in the gloom of dust and ages.                                    ║
  15. ║                                                                            ║
  16. ║  But today, the Rock cries out to us, clearly, forcefully,                 ║
  17. ║  Come, you may stand upon my                                               ║
  18. ║  Back and face your distant destiny,                                       ║
  19. ║  But seek no haven in my shadow.                                           ║
  20. ║  I will give you no hiding place down here.                                ║
  21. ║                                                                            ║
  22. ║  You, created only a little lower than                                     ║
  23. ║  The angels, have crouched too long in                                     ║
  24. ║  The bruising darkness                                                     ║
  25. ║  Have lain too long                                                        ║
  26. ║  Face down in ignorance.                                                   ║
  27. ║  Your mouths spilling words                                                ║
  28. ║                                                                            ║
  29. ║  Armed for slaughter.                                                      ║
  30. ║  The Rock cries out to us today, you may stand upon me,                    ║
  31. ║  But do not hide your face.                                                ║
  32. ║                                                                            ║
  33. ║  Across the wall of the world,                                             ║
  34. ║  A River sings a beautiful song.  It says,                                 ║
  35. ║  Come, rest here by my side.                                               ║
  36. ║                                                                            ║
  37. ║  Each of you, a bordered country,                                          ║
  38. ║  Delicate and strangely made proud,                                        ║
  39. ║  Yet thrusting perpetually under siege.                                    ║
  40. ║  Your armed struggles for profit                                           ║
  41. ║  Have left collars of waste upon                                           ║
  42. ║  My shore, currents of debris upon my breast.                              ║
  43. ║  Yet today I call you to my riverside,                                     ║
  44. ║  If you will study war no more.  Come,                                     ║
  45. ║  Clad in peace, and I will sing the songs                                  ║
  46. ║  The Creator gave to me when I and the                                     ║
  47. ║  Tree and the rock were one.                                               ║
  48. ║  Before cynicism was a bloody sear across your                             ║
  49. ║  Brow and when you yet knew you still                                      ║
  50. ║  Knew nothing.                                                             ║
  51. ║  The River sang and sings on.                                              ║
  52. ║                                                                            ║
  53. ║  There is a true yearning to respond to                                    ║
  54. ║  The singing River and the wise Rock.                                      ║
  55. ║  So say the Asian, the Hispanic, the Jew                                   ║
  56. ║  The African, the Native American, the Sioux,                              ║
  57. ║  The Catholic, the Muslim, the French, the Greek                           ║
  58. ║  The Irish, the Rabbi, the Priest, the Sheik,                              ║
  59. ║  The Gay, the Straight, the Preacher,                                      ║
  60. ║  The privileged, the homeless, the Teacher.                                ║
  61. ║  They hear.  They all hear                                                 ║
  62. ║  The speaking of the Tree.                                                 ║
  63. ║                                                                            ║
  64. ║  They hear the first and last of every Tree                                ║
  65. ║  Speak to humankind today.  Come to me, here beside the River.             ║
  66. ║  Plant yourself beside the River.                                          ║
  67. ║                                                                            ║
  68. ║  Each of you, descendant of some passed                                    ║
  69. ║  On traveller, has been paid for.                                          ║
  70. ║  You, who gave me my first name, you,                                      ║
  71. ║  Pawnee, Apache, Seneca, you                                               ║
  72. ║  Cherokee Nation, who rested with me, then                                 ║
  73. ║  Forced on bloody feet,                                                    ║
  74. ║  Left me to the employment of                                              ║
  75. ║  Other seekers -- desperate for gain,                                      ║
  76. ║  Starving for gold.                                                        ║
  77. ║  You, the Turk, the Arab, the Swede, the German, the Eskimo, the Scot,     ║
  78. ║  You the Ashanti, the Yoruba, the Kru, bought,                             ║
  79. ║  Sold, stolen, arriving on the nightmare                                   ║
  80. ║  Praying for a dream.                                                      ║
  81. ║  Here, root yourselves beside me.                                          ║
  82. ║  I am that Tree planted by the River,                                      ║
  83. ║  Which will not be moved.                                                  ║
  84. ║  I, the Rock, I the River, I the Tree                                      ║
  85. ║  I am yours -- your passages have been paid.                               ║
  86. ║  Lift up your faces, you have a piercing need                              ║
  87. ║  For this bright morning dawning for you.                                  ║
  88. ║  History, despite its wrenching pain                                       ║
  89. ║  Cannot be unlived, but if faced                                           ║
  90. ║  With courage, need not be lived again.                                    ║
  91. ║                                                                            ║
  92. ║  Lift up your eyes upon                                                    ║
  93. ║  This day breaking for you.                                                ║
  94. ║  Give birth again                                                          ║
  95. ║  To the dream.                                                             ║
  96. ║                                                                            ║
  97. ║  Women, children, men,                                                     ║
  98. ║  Take it into the palms of your hands,                                     ║
  99. ║  Mold it into the shape of your most                                       ║
  100. ║  Private need.  Sculpt it into                                             ║
  101. ║  The image of your most public self.                                       ║
  102. ║  Lift up your hearts                                                       ║
  103. ║  Each new hour holds new chances                                           ║
  104. ║  For a new beginning.                                                      ║
  105. ║  Do not be wedded forever                                                  ║
  106. ║  To fear, yoked eternally                                                  ║
  107. ║  To brutishness.                                                           ║
  108. ║                                                                            ║
  109. ║  The horizon leans forward,                                                ║
  110. ║  Offering you space to place new steps of change.                          ║
  111. ║  Here, on the pulse of this fine day                                       ║
  112. ║  You may have the courage                                                  ║
  113. ║  To look up and out and upon me, the                                       ║
  114. ║  Rock, the River, the Tree, your country.                                  ║
  115. ║  No less to Midas than the mendicant.                                      ║
  116. ║  No less to you now than the mastodon then.                                ║
  117. ║                                                                            ║
  118. ║  Here, on the pulse of this new day                                        ║
  119. ║  You may have the grace to look up and out                                 ║
  120. ║  And into your sister's eyes, and into                                     ║
  121. ║  Your brother's face, your country                                         ║
  122. ║  And say simply                                                            ║
  123. ║  Very simply                                                               ║
  124. ║  With hope --                                                              ║
  125. ║  Good morning.                                                             ║
  126. ║                                                                            ║
  127. ║          Copyright (c) - Maya Angelou                                      ║
  128. ║                                                                            ║
  129. ║  [Supplied by Tom Frenkel]                                                 ║
  130. ╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
  131.