This is Midrash in the American grain. A sacred wrestling with one of the central texts of our Civil Religion—the Gettysburg Address—using only Lincoln’s own words. Nothing added. Like the old rabbis who turned scripture inside out to find the fire beneath the letters, this found poem rearranges the Address to uncover the Spirit of America. It’s not commentary—it’s communion. A poetic reckoning with legacy, liberty, and the living question:
Do we still recognize what they gave—and are we still carrying it forward?
“Tradition means giving votes to the most obscure of all classes, our ancestors. It is the democracy of the dead.” —G.K. Chesterton Years ago, our nation conceived liberty. Years ago, our fathers dedicated themselves to the proposition. Years ago, this continent conceived: all men are created. Are created. All—are created. Our fathers. Our nation. Our liberty. Created equal. All are created Equal. Now— a great civil war. Now— a great testing. Can any nation conceived in Liberty, conceived in proposition— long endure? A new nation. Of Liberty. Of proposition. Created equal. Our fathers are created equal. All are created equal. Our Fathers created us — equal. Do we equal our fathers? Our fathers are a battlefield. Our new nation is a battlefield? Now we are testing Liberty. Now we are testing our proposition. Now… we have come to a final resting place, a field — it is fitting and proper we should. And the world will little note, Nor long remember what we said here. But, Our fathers gave their lives. All are created equal. Our lives are created equal. Our equal fathers gave so a nation might live. Our lives— a great battlefield. Our lives— conceived in liberty. All liberty is conceived. Our Fathers conceived us. Brave men—dead. All lives—dead. We cannot dedicate. We cannot consecrate. The honored dead consecrated. The living now work the great task remaining. For, We are not four score and seven years ago. We are not long ago. We are now. The proposition which they—died for All are created equal— The proposition that they gave the last full measure of devotion for In vain? The created equal, dead in vain? Our fathers—died in vain? Our proposition—died in vain…. BUT We the living, highly resolve that the honored Dead have not died in vain and we work The great unfinished task: A new birth of Freedom. conceived in Liberty, conceived in the proposition that All are Created Equal— and shall birth a new freedom: of the people, by the people, for the people. For we are created equal under God Created in liberty. We shall not perish from this Earth.