The Work of Inauguration

Jeffrey Taylor

January 4, 2021

— after “The Work of Christmas” by Howard Thurman

When the echoes of the National Anthem still,
When the spotlights cool,
When the dignitaries return home,
When the prayer giver returns to her flock,
The work Inauguration promises begins:
   To hear the lost,
   To heal the nation,
   To feed the hungry and homeless,
   To release the detained,
   To rebuild nation and trust,
   To bring peace to nations,
   To sing a new song.

Jeffrey L. Taylor never received higher than a C in English throughout school and college. Through articles in recreational computer journals, he learned to write with rhythm and conciseness, often too concise. In poetry, that is not a problem. Around 1990, poems began waking him in the night. He now writes in the day.

“The Work of Christmas” by Howard Thurman