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'New Day's Lyric'

May this be the day

We come together.

Mourning, we come to mend,

Withered, we come to weather,

Torn, we come to tend,

Battered, we come to better.

Tethered by this year of yearning,

We are learning

That though we weren't ready for this,

We have been readied by it.

We steadily vow that no matter

How we are weighed down,

We must always pave a way forward.

*

This hope is our door, our portal.

Even if we never get back to normal,

Someday we can venture beyond it,

To leave the known and take the first steps.

So let us not return to what was normal,

But reach toward what is next.

*

What was cursed, we will cure.

What was plagued, we will prove pure.

Where we tend to argue, we will try to agree,

Those fortunes we forswore, now the future we foresee,

Where we weren't aware, we're now awake;

Those moments we missed

Are now these moments we make,

The moments we meet,

And our hearts, once all together beaten,

Now all together beat.

*

Come, look up with kindness yet,

For even solace can be sourced from sorrow.

We remember, not just for the sake of yesterday,

But to take on tomorrow.

*

We heed this old spirit,

In a new day's lyric,

In our hearts, we hear it:

For auld lang syne, my dear,

For auld lang syne.

Be bold, sang Time this year,

Be bold, sang Time,

For when you honor yesterday,

Tomorrow ye will find.

Know what we've fought

Need not be forgot nor for none.

It defines us, binds us as one,

Come over, join this day just begun.

For wherever we come together,

We will forever overcome.

***

Watch Amanda Gorman sharing this poem here.

Amanda S. C. Gorman is an American poet and activist. Her work focuses on issues of oppression, feminism, race, and marginalization, as well as the African diaspora. Gorman was the first person to be named National Youth Poet Laureate. She published the poetry book The One for Whom Food Is Not Enough in 2015. 
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COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

23 PAST RESPONSES

User avatar
Patricia Baker Mar 22, 2025
Soul stirring. Gives me hope, but hope is not enough. We must act!
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Tanya Brown Feb 20, 2025
Ms. Gorman's poem is beautiful and inspiring. Two of our students recited the poem for our school's Black History Chapel. The did a wonderful job.
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GenXmom Jan 20, 2025
Reading this aloud is so amazing, you can feel the shapes of the words and the rhythm.
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Rev. Victoria Burson Jan 9, 2025
Soul-touching read
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Alberto Rodriguez Jan 8, 2025
That was a pretty deep poem, and very inspiring, I like how it builds up.
User avatar
Sophia Gocan Jan 6, 2025
I am moved, inspired, motivated. Thank you for being the voice of our generation during these troubling times. Thank you.
User avatar
Gretchen Bodensteiner Jan 6, 2025
What a beautiful poem. Tears, tears I say. Tears brought to my eyes. The poetic insight that Gorman has provided has inevitably changed my life trajectory forever. Thank you for blessing my eyes with this work.
User avatar
Kayta Jan 2, 2025
So relevant , so real
User avatar
Elaine Jan 1, 2025
Tears of inspiration
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Marcella Brady Jan 1, 2025
Amanda’s poetry is such a gift.
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John N.Novi Jan 1, 2025
Love shines through the heavens as we wait the next day.
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Linda Powell Dec 24, 2024
I didn’t want to get out of bed today; Christmas Eve. Thus year my husband died unexpectedly and I was diagnosed with breast cancer. But this…this gorgeous poem inspires me to reach and grow and yse what was to create what might be. I’m so grateful to have come across it.
User avatar
Sara Williams Dec 17, 2024
As we move closer to January 2025, Amanda Gorman"s poetic insights continue to stimulate reflection. May we meet the challenges of 2025 with this spirit of resilience, perseverance, hope, concern for the common good and peace.
Reply 1 reply: Louise
User avatar
Bob Nov 6, 2024
This is truly for today
User avatar
Yvona Smith Mar 14, 2024
So powerful a true statement on this date of today’s times.
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Dayna Feb 15, 2024
Wow, brilliant both in technique and sentiment.
User avatar
Annie Feb 15, 2024
Beautiful ❤️
User avatar
DEBORAH FUGENSCHUH Feb 15, 2024
Beautiful, warmth, heart healing, and comfort. Thank you for your view of a world I would love to live in.
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Claudia Cunningham Jan 23, 2024
This is a wonderful poem. My church is having a celebration for Black History Month and I will be reading this poem to everyone. I am sure they will love it!
Reply 1 reply: Lynlu
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Regina Jan 4, 2024
I really love it was so kind
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Jim Guida Sep 23, 2023
I wish I had a way to personally thank her for the many inspirations she provided my church’s Outdoor Message Board. wwwBethPres.com
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larrysherk Jun 20, 2022

Amanda Gorman is one of the millions of young folks that we old folks need to pay attention to and learn from. I hear people saying young people know nothing, which shows simply how little we know.

User avatar
Kristin Pedemonti Dec 31, 2021

Thank you Amanda Gorman for the perfect New Year's blessing.