I come before you today

one proud Canadian

among a nation

of these

in terrible times

in times of crisis

in security

in harm’s way

we are 35 million

projecting weakness

Consider this

We are smart

we are selfless

we are on the cusp

of

what

we are

and deplore self-satisfaction

but we come

great

we contemplate

great

we draw great strength from our

great

past

and welcome all those

who inhabit this land

the first

Consider this

to the last

we are

Serious

People of peace

gathering our

great

forces

and wherever and whenever

we unleash that might

we raise our grateful voices and

missing

Consider this

Pioneers

From the days of the coureurs des bois

built this country

where none would have existed

from them

we forge

new lies

before us

Consider this

under the maple leaf

All words in this poem are from the October 2013 Speech from the Throne, entitled Seizing

Canada’s Moment, which opened the Second Session of the Forty-First Parliament of Canada.