Activist and poet Amanda Gorman, the country’s first ever National Youth Poet Laureate, made history once again by reciting an original poem ahead of Sunday’s Super Bowl game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Gorman read her poem, “Chorus of the Captains,” which celebrated the three honorary captains — Pittsburgh-based Marine veteran James Martin, who volunteers with the Wounded Warrior Project and works with vulnerable youths, Los Angeles educator Trimaine Davis and Tampa ICU nurse manager Suzie Dorner. The trio were invited the game by the NFL.
Watch her full performance here:
You can read the full transcript of the poem below:
Today we honor our three captains
For their actions and impact in
A time of uncertainty and need.
They’ve taken the lead,
Exceeding all expectations and limitations,
Uplifting their communities and neighbors
As leaders, healers and educators.
James has felt the wounds of warfare,
But this warrior still shares
His home with at-risk kids.
During Covid, he’s even lent a hand
Live-streaming football for family and fans.
Trimaine is an educator who works nonstop,
Providing his community with hotspots,
Laptops and tech workshops,
So his students have all the tools
They need to succeed in life and in school.
Suzie is the ICU nurse manager at a Tampa hospital.
Her chronicles prove that even in tragedy, hope is possible.
She lost her grandmothers to the pandemic,
And fights to save other lives in the ICU battle zone,
Defining the front line heroes risking their lives for our own.
Let us walk with these warriors,
Charge on with these champions,
And carry forth the call of our captains!
We celebrate them by acting
With courage and compassion,
By doing what is right and just.
For while we honor them today,
It is they who every day honor us.
