O-nauguration

Today I Stand

Today, I stand tall.
I stand with hope and optimism brimming within me;
My family in my arms, my loyal friend curled at our feet.
Today I stand, with countless millions,
Looking on an event to inspire people the world over.
I stand inspired.
I stand with a tear in one eye and a twinkle in the other.
Today I stand confident our shared future will be prosperous.
I stand with the vision of my young child’s future,
A vision bolstered by the day’s events.
I stand listening to a quartet set the tone of that future.
Today I stand witness as a great man accepts the burden of a great people.
I stand, cheeks wet with pride and profound delight
As this man breathes new life into me and my fellow humans
With words to tingle the spine, enthrall the mind and enlist the spirit.
I stand enlisted, at attention, with new conviction to service,
As does my leader.
Today I stand with my family, my community, my country, and my world.
Today I stand tall.


On the morning of January 20th 2009, approximately 15 minutes after completing Today I Stand, Drew was involved in an accident with a Ford E350 van while riding his bike. This altered his perspective slightly; he was no longer standing tall, rather, more horizontal. Surprisingly and thankfully he suffered only minor injuries and was able to walk away from the accident. Later that evening he was inspired to write the following poem, Tonight I Sit.

Tonight I Sit

Tonight I sit, grateful.
I sit with a new perspective on hope and optimism,
My knee elevated and iced, my loyal friend again curled at my feet.
Tonight I sit pondering our prosperous future,
And the two-ton roadblock impeding my path to that future.
I sit injured.
Tonight I sit considering the delightful morning,
The obstacle I and my bike were unable to avoid,
And irony as stated by Webster.
Tonight I sit with a vision of the future, and also a greater appreciation of the present;
An appreciation bolstered by the day’s events.
I sit quietly and recall the notes of the quartet and their tone,
Still that tone rings true and my enthusiastic outlook persists.
Tonight I sit inspired by the words forged this morning,
Yet tempered by the mangled steel I see this evening.
I sit looking down our path, mindful that we must keep sight of where we are.
We must navigate not with blind faith and unbridled hope
But with cautious optimism, diligent planning, and collaborative execution.
Tonight I sit with my family, my bicycle, my pain, my relief,
My vision of the future and my esteem for life on this planet.
Tonight I sit, grateful.