Who else was utterly enthralled by Amanda Gorman’s presentation of her poem at the inaugural? Everyone? Me, too. So much so, in fact, that at the end of a long day, with all the emotions, for all the reasons, I poured this out. She is exceptional. My intent only was to honor her accomplishment, and work through my reactions and interpretations. A call to action, she issued with force and a smile, in no small words.
She proved
today that any words can become
poetry if you are willing, bright and eyeing, to dance
with them in the light of day, throwing
intonation to the wind, with a wrist-
flick of timbre, and the stunning
poise of play, centered and staged.
She proved
how not to swallow the words that become
apologies and just justifications for all
we’re not, afraid to stand taller,
crowned. Call and repeat, and repeat.
I think, I think.
She proved
art is as alive as you breathe it to be.
and blessed energies move like because
they quite in fact are the blood in our bodies, ringing
interstitial operational mechanical reactional,
the beat goes on.
She proved,
gilded and uncaged, you can feel it –
the gravity in the precocious gravel of a young voice,
betwixt trodden history and a sopping now, stepping
up to say more,
please. Bidden by one lyric
hand and then a next,
She proved
we’re more than a summation
not even of our parts, misshapen and inconsistently
constructed, but of our spaces. We’re more
than the differentiation of a nation,
than snow flurries and chalk-outlined ignominy,
than winter sun and fire-worked ignition.
She proved,
so be it.
caroline ridgway 