Wednesday, January 7, 2009

We Can Build a Dream With Love

Beautiful image by Jen Lemen* used with artist's permission

Come on people! Sons and mothers! 
Keep the dream of the two young brothers. 
Gonna take that dream and ride that dove.
We could build the dream with love, 
We could build the dream with love.
I got fury in my soul, fury's gonna take me to the glory goal. 
In my mind I can't study war no more.
(Lyrics by Laura Nyro)

Today I drove Small Child to school on a bright, cool Texas morning...the best possible weather. In yesterday's mail, we'd received a copy of a long lost CD, a mix I'd made to celebrate the first birthdays of a mess-o-babies born in our Oregon town in the year 2000. We rolled through the flat, sere pastures, rediscovering old favorites and singing along with everyone from Sinatra to Smash Mouth when the gentle acoustic strums of Roseanne Cash's cover of "Save The Country" broke through like  Hand-of-God-Through-The-Clouds-Sunshine.

About half way through, when I heard the lyrics I've copied above, I hit repeat.

And again.

And again.

And then it hit me in the gut.

On January 20, our nation will have kept that dream.

And if, as I fervently hope, the older brother's brilliant daughter is seated in the United States Senate, we will have built it with love.

Godspeed, Barack and Caroline, as you approach your glory goals.

A nation is behind you, fury in our soul.

*Jen Lemen is an amazing blogger, artist, doula, mother, NPR contributor, and advocate for the girls and women of Africa. Please visit her blog for information on her work, both written and visual.

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