Lo! Before the Capitol, when you took your place
Before the same-old same-old weary throng,
To see that star of timeliness in such a young face
Made me feel, for that moment, even I could do no wrong!
Amanda Gorman you made that moment shine,
Your alliteration echoing down the Mall!
My cynicism faltered on those steps and fell in line;
I thought I saw new writing on the wall.
I even dared to hope the cage would spring,
There seemed no hint of the accidental in your eyes.
So when I heard that before the kickoff you were reading
Against all the odds eternal hope did rise,
But all I saw was that they used you. How dare
They turn your star into a common highway flare!
New TCBH! poem: