Letter of the day: A civil rights lion spoke, and let loose the emotions of the day

Tears only welled in my eyes, but did not fall, as my president, Barack Hussein Obama, took the oath of office, nor did my tears fall as he spoke the eloquent, profound and sober words of his inaugural address. I did not cry as cellist Yo-Yo Ma and his quartet of our nation's best played the inaugural "Air and Simple Gifts." I did not weep earlier, though a lump was in my throat, as my political heroes and esteemed leaders -- Jimmy Carter, Walter Mondale, Teddy Kennedy, Dianne Feinstein, Nancy Pelosi and Bill and Hillary Clinton -- all gathered for the ceremony in front of our nation's capitol. My tears were held as Aretha Franklin sang "My Country 'Tis of Thee," and as poet Elizabeth Alexander paid tribute to our new president with words. I did not cry when other eyes filled as cameras scanned the enormous 2 million-strong crowd covering Washington, thousands waving their flags proudly in cold, excited hands, all smiling, shouting and cheering through their tears. My tears flowed, though, rolled down my cheeks as 87-year-old Joseph Lowery, civil rights movement hero and Methodist minister, gave the benediction. Inclusive, historic, poetic and kind, the words of this great man, collected all our feelings, our overflowing joy, our fears, our thrills, our nation's suffering and people's joy as he even joked about "black not be asked to get back, brown would not be down, white would embrace what is right, and yellow can be mellow." In his easy words to his and our nation's God, my tears were reassured by this old hero, my rejoicing set loose by this great man as he closed this hallelujah day with prayer that was fitting for us all. "A new beginning . . ." with President Obama has come at last. GAYLE GRAHAM YATES, MINNEAPOLIS