Hymn For The Hurting
a guest essay in the NY Times May 27,2022
Everything hurts,
Our hearts shadowed and strange,
Minds made muddied and mute.
We carry tragedy, terrifying and true.
And yet none of it is new;
We knew it as home,
As horror,
As heritage.
Even our children
Cannot be children,
Cannot be.
Everything hurts.
It’s a hard time to be alive,
And even harder to stay that way.
We’re burdened to live out these days,
While at the same time, blessed to outlive them.
This alarm is how we know
We must be altered —
That we must differ or die,
That we must triumph or try.
Thus while hate cannot be terminated,
It can be transformed
Into a love that lets us live.
May we not just grieve, but give:
May we not just ache, but act;
May our signed right to bear arms
Never blind our sight from shared harm;
May we choose our children over chaos.
May another innocent never be lost.
Maybe everything hurts,
Our hearts shadowed & strange.
But only when everything hurts
May everything change.
by Amanda Gorman, Found in the NY Times - linked retrieved 8/26/25
Invitation: “It can be transformed …”
More about Amanda Gorman and her work at this link and her books at this link
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Join our friends from Americans Who Tell theTruth at these two coming events - Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity to learn more and support Americans Who Tell the Truth and Bagaduce Music, and fund exciting scholarship opportunities for both organizations!
September 6th, 2025
Portrait Unveiling of Con Fullam and Concert by Pichintu Chorus
Please join AWTT for the Unveiling of Con Fullum's portrait during a Community Concert by Akiwacu and Pihcintu Multinational Girl’s Choir. Saturday, September 6 at 4:00 p.m.
Americans Who Tell the Truth (AWTT) is honored to present Con Fullam, the director of Pihcintu, as its next Truth Teller. Fullam’s portrait will join the over 280+ portraits and narratives of courageous citizens that AWTT uses to inform students and communities through school programs, conferences, and exhibits that a profound understanding of citizenship is the only safeguard of democracy and the best defense of social, racial, economic, and environmental justice. This unveiling will include a free performance by the Pihcintu Chorus and the band Akiwacu, composed of six members from Burundi. Reserve your free ticket here.
Learn More About Circles of Courageous Commons HERE
"May we choose our children over chaos.
May another innocent never be lost.
Maybe everything hurts,
Our hearts shadowed & strange.
But only when everything hurts
May everything change." Amanda Gorman
Amanda Gorman uses paradox in her poetry in such powerful ways. Parker Palmer writes of the paradoxes of life in his book "A Hidden Wholeness" and I thought of this as I read this new poem from Amanda Gorman.
May harm, hurt spur help,
help spur healing to spur change.
Hang in there ‘til then?