Speech at Nasdaq

My faith is shaken when I call for confidence, or

I seek to renew this vision of trust, renew my spirit.

Faith—faith in what I call traditions, institutions,

faith in all of us together. Few recognise new terms

for this faith calling us and much of Wall Street

holds its breath…the tickers are being watched,

no hope really that headlines will bring better news.

But info must be shared, and wondering if all

this will spill. We know there is a need to renew

a psychic trust. We all believe the free market

is the engine, trust the invisible hand is guided

by a higher principle, always saying to ourselves

the tide will lift all the boats, we rise and fall as one;

and markets won’t be ravished in crisis of confidence—

– from A MORE PERFECT UNION: A SERIAL POEM (forthcoming)