We, this people, on this small and drifting planet
Whose hands can strike with such abandon
That in a twinkling, life is sapped from the living
Yet those same hands can touch with such healing, irresistible tenderness
That the haughty neck is happy to bow
And the proud back is glad to bend
Out of such chaos, of such contradiction
We learn that we are neither devils nor divines
Happy National Poetry Month! Celebrate with this stunning reading of Maya Angelou’s “A Brave and Startling Truth” – one of the most beautiful and profound poems ever written – a cosmic clarion call to humanity, inspired by Carl Sagan.
Full poem text, and the story behind it, here.
We, this people, on this small and drifting planet
Whose hands can strike with such abandon
That in a twinkling, life is sapped from the living
Yet those same hands can touch with such healing, irresistible tenderness
That the haughty neck is happy to bow
And the proud back is glad to bend
Out of such chaos, of such contradiction
We learn that we are neither devils nor divines…
“A Brave and Startling Truth” – Maya Angelou’s stunning humanist poem inspired by Carl Sagan and the Voyager, inverting the telescope to mirror humanity back to itself with a beautiful message so very timely today.
Hear astrophysicist Janna Levin’s sublime reading of the poem here.
There is nothing quite so tragic as a young cynic, because it means the person has gone from knowing nothing to believing nothing.
Life loves the liver of it. You must live and life will be good to you.
Most people do not grow up. We find parking spaces and honor our credit cards. We marry and dare to have children and call that growing up. I think what we do is mostly grow old. We carry accumulation of years in our bodies and on our faces, but generally our real selves, the children inside, are still innocent and shy as magnolias.
