The Elements of Freedom

The elements of freedom
are the words in silence,
they dwell in the mind
of perfect bliss, they love
to rest their spirits
in mother-silence’s bosom,
and cannot ever bear
to lose sight of her.

Silence knows and feels
all the spirits of its children–
words, though few in here,
or even in centuries can feel
their meaning, as a drop feels
ocean, a spark– fire, a breath–
wind, a grain– mountain, can you
feel the heartbeat of ages?

The ages of those hearts in 1776:

James Monroe, 18
Aaron Burr, 20
John Marshall, 20
Alexander Hamilton, 21
James Madison, 25
Benjamin Rush, 30
John Jay, 30
Thomas Jefferson, 33
Thomas Paine, 39

Shadows will never go
where lights have been,
no one can parcel out air,
or water, or fire, or earth
in pieces, they are elements
of freedom, and freedom
is all or nothing.

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David Dephy

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David Dephy is an award-winning American poet, novelist, and multimedia artist, and the founder of Poetry Orchestra. Named Poet-in-Residence for Brownstone Poets for 2024-2026, Dephy was exiled from his native country of Georgia and was granted indefinite political asylum in the U.S. He lives and works in New York.

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