Wednesday, November 5, 2008

November 5th

one full day later
and my brain still buzzes
firing all impulses at once
telling me that
this could not have happened

but it did
yes it did

and if it were a dream
where would i awake?
just after Sarah made her acceptance speech
just before Barack made his race speech
just before Hillary cried in New Hampshire
the night before the Iowa caucuses
or any other of a million points on the impossible timeline
that led to this point
we call now

this remarkable morning
where for the first time in my life
my skin feels like the uniform
of a winning team
and it tingles with the tangible feeling of hope
not hope as a concept
but hope as a physical experience

this beautiful day
when my mother's words and my grandmother's words
"you can be anything you want"
feel finally real
years after they've left this world

this glorious day
November 5th
when through moist eyes
i view the world
not as it was before this day
but as it will be for every day hereafter