censorship at its worst

CENSORHIP AT ITS WORST

npr.org

i remember watching her read her memorable poem over 2 years ago
tearing up some as she read it
i knew that this was a reading of a poem that will be remembered well in history 

it was maya angelouish
it was shown and read in schools and homes across the country
i wanted my grandkids to read it and watch her reading of it when they got old enogh to read
ms b was there 2 years ago
i want her to know who amanda gorman is
her generations maya angelou

i watched her read it this morning and read along as she read it
what
i said
is in there that needs censored by that elementary school in florida

this is censorship at it worst

take the time to reread this historical poem and watch her reading of it

whats wrong with us
__________
01-26-2021

A ONCE IN A LIFETIME POET 
every generation has its lifetime poet or author
my generation the baby boomers have maya angelou as its lifetime poet or author
other generations had robert frost
i can still hear maya angelou as she so eloquently read her poems
leaving a lasting impression on my brain and in my heart

so now
enter amanda gorman
this generations lifetime poet
the harvard graduate national youth poet laureate 
she also like maya angelou has left a lasting impression on my brain and in my heart

i want ms b and mr h and mr n to know who she is and to appreciate her artistry
listen to what she wrote 
and
listen to her read those words
and
follow what she wrote
for us all to make our lives better

she spoke so eloquently even though she started her life with a speech impediment
she overcame that as she also overcame a lot in her life
to be
the next lifetime poet or author of this generation

i sat down and watched the video below of her speech
as she spoke
i read the words that are posted below her video
to make it easier to appreciate what she is saying

this is the answer to what ails us as a society 
this twenty-two year old gives us the road map to the future
its up to us to follow it

ms b read and enjoy

click this link to the video if it doesnt show on your feed 

the hill we climb

 

“When day comes we ask ourselves,

where can we find light in this never-ending shade?

The loss we carry,

a sea we must wade

We’ve braved the belly of the beast

We’ve learned that quiet isn’t always peace

And the norms and notions of what just is

Isn’t always just-ice

And yet the dawn is ours before we knew it

Somehow we do it

Somehow we’ve weathered and witnessed

a nation that isn’t broken

but simply unfinished

We the successors of a country and a time

Where a skinny Black girl

descended from slaves and raised by a single mother

can dream of becoming president

only to find herself reciting for one

And yes we are far from polished

far from pristine

but that doesn’t mean we are

striving to form a union that is perfect

We are striving to forge our union with purpose

To compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and conditions of man

And so we lift our gazes not to what stands between us

but what stands before us

We close the divide because we know to put our future first

we must first put our differences aside

We lay down our arms

so we can reach out our arms to one another

We seek harm to none and harmony for all

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

That we’ll forever be tied together, victorious

Not because we will never again know defeat

but because we will never again sow division

Scripture tells us to envision

that everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree

And no one shall make them afraid

If we’re to live up to our own time

Then victory won’t lie in the blade

But in all of the bridges we’ve made

That is the promise to glade

The hill we climb

If only we dare

It’s because being American is more than a pride we inherit,

it’s the past we step into

and how we repair it

We’ve seen a force that would shatter our nation

rather than share it

Would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy

And this effort very nearly succeeded

But while democracy can be periodically delayed

it can never be permanently defeated

In this truth

in this faith we trust

For while we have our eyes on the future

history has its eyes on us

This is the era of just redemption

We feared at its inception

We did not feel prepared to be the heirs

of such a terrifying hour

but within it we found the power

to author a new chapter

To offer hope and laughter to ourselves

So while once we asked,

how could we possibly prevail over catastrophe?

Now we assert,

How could catastrophe possibly prevail over us?

We will not march back to what was

but move to what shall be

A country that is bruised but whole,

benevolent but bold,

fierce and free

We will not be turned around

or interrupted by intimidation

because we know our inaction and inertia

will be the inheritance of the next generation

Our blunders become their burdens

But one thing is certain:

If we merge mercy with might,

and might with right,

then love becomes our legacy

and change our children’s birthright

So let us leave behind a country

better than the one we were left with

Every breath from my bronze-pounded chest,

we will raise this wounded world into a wondrous one

We will rise from the gold-limbed hills of the West,

we will rise from the windswept Northeast

where our forefathers first realized revolution

We will rise from the lake-rimmed cities of the Midwestern states,

we will rise from the sunbaked South

We will rebuild, reconcile and recover

and every known nook of our nation

and every corner called our country,

our people diverse and beautiful will emerge,

battered and beautiful

When day comes we step out of the shade,

aflame and unafraid

The new dawn blooms 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.”

by
amanda gorman
__________

our hill may be higher to climb than we realized
dont let a few ruin it for the rest of us

enjoy her writings ms b

the organicgreen doctor