Inauguration
“I have a dream,” the man’s voice boomed
And though the specters loomed
Of war and racism, hate and fear,
The crowd stood transfixed,
Ready,
Unafraid.
Or maybe they were not unafraid,
For how can one shut out fear
When bombs are dropped,
Hoses sprayed,
Babies gone?
No, not unafraid,
Not fearless,
But brave.
Bravery is not
No fear,
But saying no to fear,
Keeping fear at bay,
Keeping it from overtaking,
Keeping it down with
The expectant glimmers of
Hope and Light.
The people stood,
Brave, not fearless,
Bold, not immortal,
Transfixed by a man whose
Immortality would soon come at a
Bloody, mortal, wrenching price.
That day, the hope was bigger than fear,
The whole bigger than parts,
The many bigger than any one.
And so we stand,
Trembling,
Chilled by the specters of war and poverty,
Cold and fear
Knowing that the sum is greater,
The many are one,
And as long as hope and dreams are ours,
We shall not be moved.
We, too, are brave.
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