When President Bill Clinton was inaugurated on January 20, 1993, Maya Angelou read the poem On The Pulse Of Morning, which she wrote for the occasion. It’s just as appropriate today. The last two stanzas:
The horizon leans forward
Offering you space
To place new steps of change
Here, on the pulse of this fine day
You may have the courage
To look up and out and upon me,
The Rock, The River, The Tree, your country.
No less to Midas than the mendicant.
No less to you now than the mastadon then.
~
Here on the pulse of this new day
You may have the grace to look up and out
And into your sister’s eyes
And into your brother’s face,
Your country,
And say simply
Very simply
With hope –
Good morning.
I’m proud of you, America.
