Summary

The poem begins with an address to all of the attendees, “Mr. President, Dr. Biden, Madame Vice-President, Mr. Emhoff, Americans and the world” (1). Then, using the collective “we,” Gorman asks the key question of the poem: “Where can we find light in this never-ending shade?” (2). Gorman establishes that the country has experienced hardship and learned that many of the things it thought to be true are not as they seemed. “Quiet” (7) is not “peace” (7), “norms and notions of what just is” (9) are not “justice” (10). She reframes the country as “unfinished” (16) instead of “broken” (15) and calls upon its citizens to come together and seek common ground.

The poem shifts to address the wider world as well as appeal to shared spirituality. Gorman implores the world to understand that the United States “grew” (38) in spite of its internal conflicts. She then refers to the Bible, asserting...