Amanda Gorman

The hill we climb, if only we dare it: Because being American is more than a pride we inherit — It’s the past we step into, and how we repair it.

That's what only words can do — Prod us toward something new
& in doing so, move us closer -> together.

When day comes, we step out of the shade of flame and unafraid.
The new dawn balloons as we free it.
For there is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it.
If only we’re brave enough to be it.
The Hill We Climb: An Inaugural Poem for the Country

Sometimes, we must call our monster out from under the bed to see he/she/it carries our face.

To tell the truth, then, is to risk
being remembered by its fiction.

Of all the stars the most beautiful
Is nothing more than a monster,
Just as starved & stranded as we are.

I hum with a hundred hearts,
Each of us lifting a hand.

I use my strengths and my smarts,
Take a knee to make a stand.

Strength is separate from survival.
What endures isn't always what escapes
& what is withered can still withstand.

Poke the scar until it speaks.
This is how every memory starts.

Together, we envision a land that is liberated, not lawless. We create a future that is free, not flawless. Again & again, over & over, We will stride up every mountainside, Magnanimous & modest. We will be protected & served By a force that is honored & honest. This is more than protest. It’s a promise.

Most of them immigrants. These people came Promised Land. They came fresh & they got Destroyed.

The question isn't if we can weather this unknown,
But how we will weather this unknown together.

Just like a skill or any art, We cannot possess hope without practicing it. It is the most fundamental craft we demand of ourselves.

Let the globe, if nothing else, say this is true:
That even as we grieved, we grew
That even as we hurt, we hoped
That even as we tired, we tried

Poetry is an art form, but, to me, it’s also a weapon, it’s also an instrument. It’s the ability to make ideas that have been known, felt and said.” Inaugural poet
@TheAmandaGorman