Ode to Obama, to America, to US
On the occasion of Barack Obama's election November 4, 2008 as the 44th President of the United States
Copyright © 2008 by Bruce Toien
Some have called our collective reaction
To this historic moment "joyous disbelief"
But slumped out on our sofa, in tears,
Exhaling sighs, I just call it dazed relief.
After our long national trauma,
This native son of ours, our Obama,
Has voiced our longings, invited us to sing
An old dream and a new world into being.
But this is not the end says Barack,
For the hard work's just begun.
No finish line, as they say, for there is none
In our questing, in our life's race run.
Or swum. Where buoyed an instant above the waves
We glimpse with our own happy eyes
There is indeed a shore out there to gain
And for now that knowledge will suffice.
For this is our moment, the window is cracked,
The door stands ajar, we've found our track.
Tomorrow we'll yet again be tasked
With daunting matters of life and death.
But today at least, with rancor past,
I'm glad to simply catch my breath!
