THE LADY
 
 I wonder what she thought
 As she stood there, strong and tall.
 She couldn't turn away,
 She was forced to watch it all.
 
 Did she long to offer comfort
 As her country bled?
 With her arm forever frozen
 High above her head.
 
 She could not shield her eyes
 She could not hide her face
 She just stared across the water
 Keeping Freedom's place.
 
 The smell of smoke and terror
 Somehow reduced her size
 So small within the harbor
 But still we recognized...
 
 How dignified and beautiful
 On a day so many died
 I wonder what she thought,
 I know she must have cried.
 

As the soot and dirt and ash rained down,
 We became one color.
 
 As we carried each other down the
 stairs of the burning building,
 We became one class.

 As we lit candles of waiting and hope,
 We became one generation.
 
 As we fell to our knees
 in prayer for strength,
 We became one faith.
 
 As we whispered or shouted
 words of encouragement,
 We spoke one language.
 
 As we gave our blood in lines a mile long,
 We became one body.
 
 As we mourned together the great loss,
 We became one family.
 
 As we cried tears of grief and loss,
 We became one soul.
 
Now as we recall with pride,
the sacrifice of heroes,
 We become one people.
 
 We are One.
 We are United.
 We are America. 

© Cheryl Sawyer, EdD

As Memorial Day approaches, we ask for your help to make this day a time to reflect on peace and healing.
On that day,  please wear red,  white, and blue to work or school to show your support for those who lost their lives on 9~11~01 and to honor the heroes  who worked to save them and the families left behind. At three PM local time, no  matter where you are or what you are doing, stop,  put your hand on  your heart, and say the Pledge of Allegiance~ out loud or to yourself and  say a prayer for our nation. If all of us do this together in every time zone around the world, we will have a powerful  prayer chain surrounding us.