THE OATH

It is not news anymore that the President of the United States had to re-take his oath of office in private after bungling a chance to do so perfectly in the public eye on that cold day of January the 20th. Not his fault anyway. The Chief Justice, the chief prompter of that event of oaths led him on a ride to blunders and eventual lingua fracas. In more hostile, skeptical climes, say, a George Bush’s public blunder, such a slip like that would make it to the David Letterman’s tv spectacular “Great Moments in Presidential Speeches”, and at worst would be said to be an omen for what to expect from the incoming president. We, however forgive the new man. The Constitution had foreseen such eventuality anyway, and had made provision for the elected man to take office immediately at noon on Inauguration Day, or immidiately after the death of a serving president.

THE POEM

Some writers and poets have spent all days of the last week pondering the significance of a somewhat dull presentation of the Inauguration Poem by Elizabeth Alexander. In 1993, when the poet Maya Angelou captivated the world with her enchanting rendition of “On this Pulse of a Morning”, not even the brilliance of the president’s speech “There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured with what is right with America” could drown the triumph of that great inaugural rendition of her heart-moving poetry. Cut to 2009. Well, you have to give it to the president - who has cut himself out as a great orator, he would not let anybody else steal the show of oratory. Or is that the case? The significance of poetry is not so trivial to be compared to a presidential inaugural speech, but, what do I know. The experts have spoken. In 2009, we had a poetry performance that did not move us as much as president’s speech did. And maybe that is not too bad.

THE DANCE

Well, you had to give it to the president. He must have been practicing all year for this day. And did he look dashing in that suit with his wife on his arm. I think I even glimpsed him grinding his butt to some fast paced music at another ball. This must surely make Ellen Degeneres a little jealous, seeing that it was on her show that the President first gave us a glimpse into how much of a dance act he was. Now, her dance partner has now made it at last to the world stage.

And so in less than a week, the glitz of the inauguration is paling out to reality on the ground. Guantananmo, Malia’s puppy, and Palestine, among many others. Let’s keep our fingers crossed and see how everything else goes.