Aaltoe’s Blog

I did not anticipate
That the moments of swearing in
Would be so moving
As to cause tears, involuntary sobs.
Was it relief from allayed fears
That had built
To just below the level of consciousness?
Was it a welling forth of thought and feelings
That had gradually been repressed?
Was it a sudden realization
That we as a nation
Came back into view
Or, even more, that I found part of myself
Again in view
As part of the wholeness of nationhood?

It was a moment of redefinition of self,
Of rediscovery of lost self
Whose absence had prevented
Identification with our larger national enterprise
But whose absence had also diminished
The extent and strength of my own being.
The self became more vulnerable
To worlds constructed by others
Worlds where
integrity
consistency
truth
morality
Were but dim shadows of the past.

I revel in the re-emergence
Of leaders in politics and art
Who in the light of these new days
Are finding ways to move ahead
With confidence and compassion.
I can only hope that so many in our society
Who seem embittered and disaffected
Will be enlightened by the brightness and the promise
That are now present.

This entry was posted on January 21, 2021 at 9:52 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.