POETRY Two different poems this week. The first is about masks, which seems an appropriate topic these days. This is about the masks that Black Americans wear. The second is the final passages of the inaugural poet’s words. We Wear the Mask By Paul Laurence Dunbar We wear the mask that grins and lies, It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,— This debt we pay to human guile; With torn and bleeding hearts we smile, And mouth with myriad subtleties. Why should the world be over-wise, In counting all our tears and sighs? Nay, let them only see us, while We wear the mask. We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries To thee from tortured souls arise. We sing, but oh the clay is vile Beneath our feet, and long the mile; But let the world dream otherwise, We wear the mask! And before we move on from the euphoria of the inauguration, the closing words from the inauguration poem: THE HILL WE CLIMB By Amanda Gorman
We will rebuild, reconcile and recover in every known nook of our nation, in 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.
MUSIC The cast of Hamilton paying homage to A Chorus Line on the 40th anniversary of its premiere on the same stage. In Hamilton costumes. Quite the love letter from today’s great musical to yesterday’s, which remains as beautiful today as it was in the year of its premiere: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86mukiciQ6E Here’s Melissa Etheridge and her 23-year-old daughter, Bailey, performing “Fix You” by Coldplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPFgnA-10PY&feature=emb_title Finally, Tears for Fears lead singer Curt Smith and his daughter, Diva, singing “Mad World”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AnW6_OpbMQ&feature=emb_title Have a great weekend, Glenn
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