Four years ago, on the day after election day, I quoted Bob Marley's "Natural Mystic" to sum up what I felt:

"Did you hear the first trumpet?
Might as well be the last.
Many more will have to die.
Many more will have to cry.
Don't ask me why."

Last night, as Patricia and I moved through the massive crowd in Grant Park, through throngs of revelers, still basking in the afterglow of Barack Obama's wonderful speech and the enormous joy and history of the moment, another Bob Marley lyric came to me, and I nearly wept with the rightness of it. The song is "Put It On":

"Feel them spirit. Lord I thank you."

That about sums it all up this time.

Although I must admit that I like George Bush on a personal level, his regime has come to epitomize the sense of malaise, the sense of spiritual dullness, the sense of divisiveness, the sense of slow, blind, lazy inertia that has enveloped our country. And last night, all that changed.

And the peasants rejoice! (Jeremy texted me that when Ohio was called for Obama.)

"Feel them spirit
Feel them spirit
Lord, I thank you
Lord, I thank you
Feel alright now
Feel alright now
Feel alright now
Lord, I thank you."
Lord, I thank you."

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Mornings like this are why I love Spring in the Midwest: a glowing sky, filled with orange light yet threatening rain, o'erspreading the new green trees...it makes up for the fact that I had an absolutely ICY shower this morning. The sky is wide through my windows. (I'm sad I shal'n't have this room next year.) It makes me think of/ pine for travel. Below are a few pictures from my recent trip to the hill country of central Florida. I backpacked (solo) the state's longest loop trail and rode (both ways) its longest bike trail (with a stop at a strange, distant hotel between legs) and, in between these two jaunts, scorched myself on Clearwater Beach...I have hardly any skin left on me. Enjoy!
Read more
One of my favorite singer/ songwriters, David Brown from Brazzaville, actually read one of my stories, "Sleeping and Waking" and told me that I was a very talented writer with a very natural style. He has inspired much of my writing over the past six months, so this means a lot to me. I am going on one hour of sleep. Gawd, am I tired.
Read more

My Keynote Address to the Calumet High School Class of 2016

I’d like to start by thanking you, sincerely, for choosing me to deliver the keynote speech at your graduation.  As it says in my bio (in the little playbills you are holding), this is one of the biggest honors I have ever received.  And the fact that you had me as your teacher for three years, and still want to hear me talk, makes me smile.  Accordingly, I will try to rise to the occasion.  I told Bianka and Tiana I was just going to hiss at everyone individually, but I’ll save that for the meet-and greet afterwards. Thanks, too, to our administration for allowing me this opportunity to speak, and to our Senior Class Sponsors, especially Bon-Eye, the Librarian, who is always kind and patient, with everyone, even when terribly busy.  Thanks for treating people well, Mrs. Williams. It’s been amazing working with you guys, watching you grow – although I use that word loosely; most of you are the same height as you were when you started high school and some (ahem…Marisol, Brittan
Read more