Memorial
4.25.00
It's 9:00. The day goes on
Like nothing ever happened here.
The streets are packed, the traffic loud.
Life goes on--I suppose it must.
It's 9:01. As I step through the gate,
The busy world seems to melt away.
The busyness of Sixth Street fades,
Yielding to the peaceful pool of Fifth Street.
Sacred walls surround one fateful moment,
Forever burned into our nation's heart.
It's 9:02--look! Time stands still.
I see the pool, so calm, so serene,
Reflecting the depth of our hope.
The wall holds every survivor's name,
While 168 chairs provide a place
For visiting angels to stop and rest.
Children laugh and play again
While families and friends reflect and remember.
The Survivor Tree stands like a guardian angel,
Strong and vital, never yielding,
A symbol of life that refuses to give in.
It's 9:03. The moment ends.
The time to mourn is over.
As I step onto the crowded sidewalk
To rejoin the world at large,
I have one thing left to say:
Though violence may strike, it can never destroy us,
As long as we remember.
My prayer for the reader:
~May all who visit this sacred ground store the image in their hearts, in honor of those who were lost and those who live on; and may all who read these words remember, so this atrocity may never be repeated.~
4.25.00
It's 9:00. The day goes on
Like nothing ever happened here.
The streets are packed, the traffic loud.
Life goes on--I suppose it must.
It's 9:01. As I step through the gate,
The busy world seems to melt away.
The busyness of Sixth Street fades,
Yielding to the peaceful pool of Fifth Street.
Sacred walls surround one fateful moment,
Forever burned into our nation's heart.
It's 9:02--look! Time stands still.
I see the pool, so calm, so serene,
Reflecting the depth of our hope.
The wall holds every survivor's name,
While 168 chairs provide a place
For visiting angels to stop and rest.
Children laugh and play again
While families and friends reflect and remember.
The Survivor Tree stands like a guardian angel,
Strong and vital, never yielding,
A symbol of life that refuses to give in.
It's 9:03. The moment ends.
The time to mourn is over.
As I step onto the crowded sidewalk
To rejoin the world at large,
I have one thing left to say:
Though violence may strike, it can never destroy us,
As long as we remember.
My prayer for the reader:~May all who visit this sacred ground store the image in their hearts, in honor of those who were lost and those who live on; and may all who read these words remember, so this atrocity may never be repeated.~
