“On Inauguration Collaboration”<\/p>\n
Teach the father
\nHeal the mother
\nBless the child
\nBless the soul<\/p>\n
Teach the father
\nHeal the mother
\nBless the child
\nBless the soul<\/p>\n
With the coolness of a Buddha at his opening miracle, he stands before the masses primed to preach the new stone tablets.\u00a0 The flag pin stuck in his side, once a branding, now an angelic beacon across television history.\u00a0 A sunshine flashing, shining example to keep your mind open and your options ample.<\/p>\n
Teach the father
\nHeal the mother
\nBless the child
\nBless the soul<\/p>\n
\u201cNow, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions – who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.\u201d<\/p>\n
Teach the father
\nHeal the mother
\nBless the child
\nBless the soul<\/p>\n
I wear a suit to meet you ’cause I’d never live it down if my mother knew I wore no suit to see you.\u00a0 You’re tall in person, but we’re pretty much the same height.<\/p>\n
We sit down.\u00a0 I say, \u201cPardon me not praising for your all your charities \u2013 this precious, special, gift of grace you’ve bought us.\u00a0 But we need to get to the heart of it, before your next green-friendly, ribbon cutting business.\u00a0 I can tell that you’re serious \u2013 and I’m here to show you I’m serious, too.\u00a0 Write me an email; we’ll figure a time when schedules merge.\u00a0 We’ll start by fixing college football’s playoffs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then I hand him a letter and walk away.<\/p>\n
Teach the father
\nHeal the mother
\nBless the child
\nBless the soul<\/p>\n
\u201cWe remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.\u201d<\/p>\n
Teach the father
\nHeal the mother
\nBless the child
\nBless the soul<\/p>\n
\u201cThe time for old ways is over, there’s no straighter way to say it.\u00a0 We’ve whitewashed this stadium so many times, there’s more steel showing than plaster.\u00a0 I won’t miss the days of Mookie and Buckner, where happy mistakes were the best we could muster.\u00a0 I want a new playing field where people trade smiles regardless of other team’s uniform styles.\u00a0 I want a new set of set of rules where bunting’s illegal, ’cause no one should ever be made to feel feeble.\u00a0 I want hot dogs for all and cold beer for many, and I want the Sign of Peace at the Seventh Inning Stretch.\u00a0 I want–\u201d Just then the Shea sky jet engines erase all conversations.<\/p>\n
Teach the father
\nHeal the mother
\nBless the child
\nBless the soul<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass, the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve, and as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself\u201d<\/p>\n
I teach my father my secret joys but only in my dream state.
\nI heal my mother when the clock projects a sermon much too late.<\/p>\n
Bless the child’s steady progress.
\nBless the soul’s delight in congress.<\/p>\n[audio:http:\/\/mikevarley.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/02\/mikevarleycom-on-inauguration-collaboration.mp3]\n\t\t