Today was a day of change
Not just for Barack’s campaign
Not just living up to his proclaim
Today we stood on the past
Both looking forward and glancing back
Today we proved equality can last
And acceptance can begin where it’s lacked
Rick Warren stood and prayed
And a whole lawn of Americans bowed
As they did I cast down my doubts
I have underestimated my fellow people
Of these 50 United States
Fearing something terrible would come
Judging from past heartaches
But change we have and bounds we’ve made
To this from terrible yesterdays
Gaining knowledge from past mistakes
And using it to create a better today
This morning I saw tears on many faces
Of many a people from different places
Tears of hope on the faces of varying races
“America is bigger than the sum of our individual differences
…differences of birth or of wealth…”
America is bigger than status or class
The impact of equality needs to be felt
“There are some that question the scale of our big ambitions”
But “What free men and women can accomplish” is limitless
And dreams don’t need society’s permission to come true
Through dedication and determination they’ll become a reality
“When imagination is joined to common purpose and necessity to courage”
These dreams that they said were too out of reach will be an actuality
We reached this day “because we have chosen hope over fear”
“We have chosen unity over discord”
Where others react with nuclear warfare
Peacemaking and discussion will be our initial sword
But back down we won’t and give up we can’t
Though we want our soldiers sent home
We will not let the death of those men be in vain
If we must we will stand strong alone
We will help our fellow nations
When their best isn’t quite enough
But not intervene when not welcomed there
Not just run when the going gets tough
My new president said this in his inauguration speech:
“It is a parent’s responsibility to nurture a child that will define us”
But I know a teacher, also, can reach
Teaching is the dream God laid on my heart
And teaching is what I aim to pursue
Though some may say I will teach the unteachable
That is what I know God’s called me to do
I can call myself a woman “obscure in my labor”
One who aims to teach the unreachable
And write the indescribable
And race the unbeatable
I may not find a genius in the mind of a child with downs
Or keep an autistic child from bouncing
Or listen to a mute child speak
But maybe I will help one affected with down syndrome
To be seen as a person and act and contribute as a citizen
Maybe I will be able to focus the mind that is wandering
Long enough to make use of their hands
Maybe I can help a voiceless child to be heard
In writing or art or through sign language
Maybe I can redirect the focus of those who turn their heads
From the ones less “normal” than they are
Maybe I can help those who call themselves normal
To see that those children are way more “normal”
Than the world gives them credit for
I hope I can use this obscure dream of mine
To inspire people to look outside themselves
Into the eyes and hearts of those the world has overlooked
To look into eyes that look at the same world that we do
You may not ever hear anything I write
From the podium on inauguration day
But maybe my words can touch one life
And inspire that one life to touch another
Maybe the experiences and thoughts I hold on to
Can be placed in your hands to learn from
I may not ever win the Southern Conference
In any of the races I am asked to run in
And I may not ever break five minutes in the mile
But I may be able to defeat myself
And the voice in my head that says, “give up”
Maybe I can ignore the pain in my legs
Just long enough to disprove all of those
Who said I would never make it this far
Maybe I can show all the doctors that told me
That said I would never run the same again
That faith is greater than epilepsy
And statistics are not right 100% of the time
“So let it be said of our children’s children
That when we were tested
We refused to let our journey end”
Tested I’ve been and tested I’ll be
Til God looks down and says to me
Daughter, it’s time for you to be with me
So from now until then I will not give up
Though I know there’ll be times when life gets rough
I want those who follow behind
To see me as just one tiny life
That, together, with all of the dreamers like me
Lived this journey for more than just what we could see
And they will see life a little bit differently
Than they would have before if there hadn’t been me
The obscurity of my dreams may lead me
To be un-noticed in a society of moneymakers
But the faithfulness I have in those dreams
Will leave me satisfied when not glorified
Because satisfaction cannot be fed
From the outside in
Gratification will not lead to glorification
But the One who instilled me with these obscure dreams
Will surround me with glory when my day comes
For I am willing to sell all I posess in this life
For just one moment in the presence of the ultimate dreamer
The author of creation
The maker of the unexplained
The seer of pain and healer of heartache
The one who holds on to my dreams
When I lose my grip
And leads me to find them again
The one who hears the cries of the forgotten
The words of the voiceless
The shouts of the hurting
And the cheers of the delivered
I praise the Lord for a man
Who has reached those opposed
And those who may disagree
With words spoken after an oath
For a man calling for peace
While preparing to defend
For one smiling while the weight of a nation
Seems to be resting on his shoulders
For a man who finds time to love his family
With a whole nation of families to lead
For a man who acknowledges
That there are ones who are greater than he
Though he is one who may or may not
Agree with who those greater ones are
For a man who will make mistakes
And a man who accepts
That others will make them too
And praise the Lord for the blessings
He has given to the Red, White, and Blue
Not just for Barack’s campaign
Not just living up to his proclaim
Today we stood on the past
Both looking forward and glancing back
Today we proved equality can last
And acceptance can begin where it’s lacked
Rick Warren stood and prayed
And a whole lawn of Americans bowed
As they did I cast down my doubts
I have underestimated my fellow people
Of these 50 United States
Fearing something terrible would come
Judging from past heartaches
But change we have and bounds we’ve made
To this from terrible yesterdays
Gaining knowledge from past mistakes
And using it to create a better today
This morning I saw tears on many faces
Of many a people from different places
Tears of hope on the faces of varying races
“America is bigger than the sum of our individual differences
…differences of birth or of wealth…”
America is bigger than status or class
The impact of equality needs to be felt
“There are some that question the scale of our big ambitions”
But “What free men and women can accomplish” is limitless
And dreams don’t need society’s permission to come true
Through dedication and determination they’ll become a reality
“When imagination is joined to common purpose and necessity to courage”
These dreams that they said were too out of reach will be an actuality
We reached this day “because we have chosen hope over fear”
“We have chosen unity over discord”
Where others react with nuclear warfare
Peacemaking and discussion will be our initial sword
But back down we won’t and give up we can’t
Though we want our soldiers sent home
We will not let the death of those men be in vain
If we must we will stand strong alone
We will help our fellow nations
When their best isn’t quite enough
But not intervene when not welcomed there
Not just run when the going gets tough
My new president said this in his inauguration speech:
“It is a parent’s responsibility to nurture a child that will define us”
But I know a teacher, also, can reach
Teaching is the dream God laid on my heart
And teaching is what I aim to pursue
Though some may say I will teach the unteachable
That is what I know God’s called me to do
I can call myself a woman “obscure in my labor”
One who aims to teach the unreachable
And write the indescribable
And race the unbeatable
I may not find a genius in the mind of a child with downs
Or keep an autistic child from bouncing
Or listen to a mute child speak
But maybe I will help one affected with down syndrome
To be seen as a person and act and contribute as a citizen
Maybe I will be able to focus the mind that is wandering
Long enough to make use of their hands
Maybe I can help a voiceless child to be heard
In writing or art or through sign language
Maybe I can redirect the focus of those who turn their heads
From the ones less “normal” than they are
Maybe I can help those who call themselves normal
To see that those children are way more “normal”
Than the world gives them credit for
I hope I can use this obscure dream of mine
To inspire people to look outside themselves
Into the eyes and hearts of those the world has overlooked
To look into eyes that look at the same world that we do
You may not ever hear anything I write
From the podium on inauguration day
But maybe my words can touch one life
And inspire that one life to touch another
Maybe the experiences and thoughts I hold on to
Can be placed in your hands to learn from
I may not ever win the Southern Conference
In any of the races I am asked to run in
And I may not ever break five minutes in the mile
But I may be able to defeat myself
And the voice in my head that says, “give up”
Maybe I can ignore the pain in my legs
Just long enough to disprove all of those
Who said I would never make it this far
Maybe I can show all the doctors that told me
That said I would never run the same again
That faith is greater than epilepsy
And statistics are not right 100% of the time
“So let it be said of our children’s children
That when we were tested
We refused to let our journey end”
Tested I’ve been and tested I’ll be
Til God looks down and says to me
Daughter, it’s time for you to be with me
So from now until then I will not give up
Though I know there’ll be times when life gets rough
I want those who follow behind
To see me as just one tiny life
That, together, with all of the dreamers like me
Lived this journey for more than just what we could see
And they will see life a little bit differently
Than they would have before if there hadn’t been me
The obscurity of my dreams may lead me
To be un-noticed in a society of moneymakers
But the faithfulness I have in those dreams
Will leave me satisfied when not glorified
Because satisfaction cannot be fed
From the outside in
Gratification will not lead to glorification
But the One who instilled me with these obscure dreams
Will surround me with glory when my day comes
For I am willing to sell all I posess in this life
For just one moment in the presence of the ultimate dreamer
The author of creation
The maker of the unexplained
The seer of pain and healer of heartache
The one who holds on to my dreams
When I lose my grip
And leads me to find them again
The one who hears the cries of the forgotten
The words of the voiceless
The shouts of the hurting
And the cheers of the delivered
I praise the Lord for a man
Who has reached those opposed
And those who may disagree
With words spoken after an oath
For a man calling for peace
While preparing to defend
For one smiling while the weight of a nation
Seems to be resting on his shoulders
For a man who finds time to love his family
With a whole nation of families to lead
For a man who acknowledges
That there are ones who are greater than he
Though he is one who may or may not
Agree with who those greater ones are
For a man who will make mistakes
And a man who accepts
That others will make them too
And praise the Lord for the blessings
He has given to the Red, White, and Blue
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