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Tuesday, December 01, 2015

Words in quotes – v4

What makes these words so distinct,
what gives them their power, importance
so special, so unique, that they must be in quotes,
that each, in their turn, must swear
the same exact words, by law

Oh but the repetition, the fidelity, the power
our nation wrapped up in that ritual, that invoking
those words in quotes, binding each one to
the history of the office, the legacy of our nation,
the push and pull of power, of law, to remain
beholden to the words, the principles, the law

For this is to be a nation, governed by the people,
no one above the law, all equal,
embodied in the words of mettle, our lives together
measured, bound up, by that which is written down
preserved, honored, revered, in law written
by our forefathers, in Congress

These are the words that matter, that bind us,
the right of each one’s actions, empowered
the cause of our freedom bound in
the pledge, the oath, the promise
to those words in quotes, in law.

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edited December 1, 2015
Words in Quotes – v4

(editing version 2)
edited October 31, 2015
Changing the World – v5
(editing original)
edited February 2, 2015
Changing the World – v4
(merging edits to version 3 and version 2)
edited January 20, 2015
Changing the World – v3
(editing original again)
edited January 21, 2013
Changing the World – v2
January 18, 2009
Changing the World
edited January 20, 2015
Power in His Words – v3
(editing original again)
edited January 20, 2015
Fighting Evil – v3
(editing original again)
edited January 20, 2015
Love Liberates – v3
(editing original again)
edited January 20, 2015
The Power of His Words – v3
edited January 20, 2015
Living Christ’s Words – v3
edited January 20, 2015
Not Words of Weakness – v3
(editing original again)
edited January 20, 2015
Hatred – v3
(editing original again)
edited January 20, 2015
Radical Words – v3
(editing original again)
edited January 20, 2015
Understanding this moment – v3
edited January 20, 2015
Forty Years – v3
(editing original again)
edited January 20, 2015
Seeing Joshua – v3
(editing original again)
edited January 20, 2015
Choosing the Cross – v3
(editing original again)
 edited January 20, 2015
Before Martin – v3
edited January 20, 2015
Echoes of the Desert – v4
(editing version 1 again)
edited April 8, 2014
Echoes of the Desert – v3
(editing original again)
edited January 20, 2015
In His Ministry – v3
(editing version 1 again)
edited January 20, 2015
The Question – v3
(editing original again)
edited January 20, 2015
Always Torture – v3
(editing original again)
edited January 20, 2015
The Hills of Zion – v3
(editing version 1 again)
edited January 20, 2015
Is He Joshua – v3
(edited version 1 again)
edited January 20, 2015
Lofty Words – v3
(editing original again)
edited January 20, 2015
understanding a moment – v3
(editing version 1 again)
edited January 20, 2015
Words in Quotes – v3
(editing version 1 again)
edited January 20, 2015
Words that Bind – v3
(editing version 1 again)
edited January 20, 2015
Words chosen for a nation – v3
(editing version 1 again)
&
edited January 21, 2013
Power in His Words – v2
edited January 21, 2013
Fighting Evil – v2
edited January 21, 2013
Love Liberates – v2
edited January 21, 2013
The Power of His Words – v2
edited January 21, 2013
Living Christ’s Words – v2
edited January 21, 2013
Not Words of Weakness – v2
January 21, 2013
Hatred – v2
January 21, 2013
Radical Words – v2
edited January 21, 2013
Understanding this moment – v2
January 21, 2013
Forty Years – v2
January 21, 2013
Seeing Joshua – v2
January 21, 2013
Choosing the Cross – v2
January 21, 2013
Before Martin – v2
January 21, 2013
Echoes of the Desert – v2
January 21, 2013
In His Ministry – v2
January 21, 2013
The Question – v2
January 21, 2013
Always Torture – v2
January 21, 2013
The Hills of Zion – v2
January 21, 2013
Is He Joshua – v2
January 21, 2013
Lofty Words – v2
January 21, 2013
understanding a moment – v2
January 21, 2013
Words in Quotes – v2
January 21, 2013
Words that Bind – v2
January 21, 2013
Words chosen for a nation – v2
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
and his final speech before his assassination
and Inauguration of the President
Barack Hussein Obama
Invocation
by Myrlie Evers-Williams
Inaugural Address
&
several poems written in 2009
on the juxtaposition of the
80th birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
and the inauguration of Barack Obama
as President of the United States of America
January 17, 2009
understanding a moment
January 17, 2009
Words in Quotes
January 17, 2009
Words chosen for a nation
January 17, 2009
Words that Bind
and the Presidential Oath, from the
US Constitution, Article I, Section 1, Clause 8,
repeated verbatim by the presidents. The only language in quotes
in the Constitution, unlike the general principles elsewhere.
"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully
execute the office of President of the United States,
and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend
the Constitution of the United States."
January 18, 2009
Lofty Words
January 18, 2009
Is He Joshua
January 18, 2009
The Hills of Zion
January 18, 2009
Always Torture
January 18, 2009
The Question
January 18, 2009
In His Ministry
January 18, 2009
Echoes of the Desert
January 18, 2009
Before Martin
January 18, 2009
Choosing the Cross
January 18, 2009
Seeing Joshua
January 18, 2009
Forty Years
January 18, 2009
Understanding this moment
January 18, 2009
Radical Words
January 18, 2009
Hatred
January 18, 2009
Not Words of Weakness
January 18, 2009
Living Christ’s Words
January 18, 2009
The Power of His Words
January 18, 2009
Love Liberates
January 18, 2009
Fighting Evil
January 18, 2009
Power in His Words
&
the message, “It’s not just a dream but a reality”
on the sign in front of church,
the story of Moses and Joshua,
Deuteronomy 34:1-12
Joshua 1:1-9
along with
Micah 4:1-4
Matthew 5:43-48
the sermon, “Love Your Who???”,
by Reverend Huntley Halvorson,
Suncook United Methodist Church, Suncook, NH,
and the hypothetical put to Eric Holder, nominee for Attorney General,
by Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) on the use of waterboarding,
January 15, 2009, during his Senate Confirmation Hearings,
&
edited January 19, 2015
Changing the Wind – v3
(merging edits to original and version 2)
Edited July 22, 2013
“changing the wind – v2”
December 7, 2007
“changing the wind”
Based on the comments of Jim Wallis on
Speaking of Faith, November 29, 2007
He was talking about whether to change politicians
or change the wind, to change the public opinion
which guides politics. He used the example
of President Johnson’s statement to the
Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that it would
take 5 years for a voting rights bill but
it actually took 5 months to pass the Voting Rights Act,
after the March in Selma.

All of my poems and photographs are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com) for usage. See all 40,250+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

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