Looking At My "Reflection"

Hey Everybody-

I'm having a break from my sleep tonight and just wanted to talk about my last piece that I posted, "Inauguration Reflection".

I've gotten a few comments from some people (Thank you all!) and they are all well-received. To make it clear, I can't stress enough how much I'm still amazed by what happened to start this past week. We had a double-event, celebrating the life and times of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the inauguration of President Barack Obama. It was this once in a lifetime feeling that inspired me to try to translate into poetry.

I wrote this piece at almost 2:00 in the morning on the night before the inauguration and just let the words flow. Putting my feelings to paper, I feel the biggest concept above all was the fact that this inauguration was not only for our new president, but for myself and any others who felt the same way (hence, the reference to "Reflection").

In the first stanza, I focus on the road traveled to get to this moment. I try to foreshadow the event and build up anticipation to the excitement that is on it's way. You'll notice the references to Dr. King's vision and the slogan for President's Obama's campaign "Yes we can!" placed in the early lines setting the tone for anybody who can relate to this feeling.

The second stanza builds on the anxious feelings from before. I use words to escalate the feelings of anticipation, using hope to descibe the internal and tears to describe the external. The final three lines are an attempt to grab more of an audience, using the universal desire to not only have more hope, but how great it feels to see it within reach.

The third stanza is the culmination of this thought process. I try to simulate what it will feel like after the swearing in is done and how the people think in their minds. I also try to create a to-do list moving forward, compelling people to not just sit in this moment, but to use it as inspiration to continue to do even more in this world. Finally, I draw it to a close by explaining how this event has ultimately become a reflection of me and many others.

Hopefully, this gave some clarity to how I formulated this piece. As deep as I feel this piece is, I will admit that it was one of my easier ones to write because I just wrote what was inside of me. Another point that I want to make is that I know that as excited as I was about this event, there were some who were not on that level. However, for one moment, just think of the meaning of this event and what positive things it says about how far we have come as a country. If there is nothing else to be gained from this whole experience, just acknowledge the fact that dreams can come true and anything is possible!

Thanks for reading. Have a good night/morning!

-W.A. Gordon