We All Became One

Dedicated to the heroes of September 11, 2001

When the walls tumbled down around our feet that day
The world stopped to cry and then knelt to pray
It remembered the heroes who gave their lives
And the losses for their children, husbands and wives

I remember the phone ringing to give me the news
The sky was on fire and Mother Earth was singing the blues
Her children were in peril in the world down below
Some crushed beneath a building, others running to and fro

Then came the men rushing dressed in uniforms of blue
To save the day and bring a glimmer of hope for me and you
But many of them perished with not a selfish thought
Just doing their job as they all were taught

Pride in our country has risen to an all-time high
We fly our flags, wear the colors and salute the soldiers passing by
We are proud to be Americans, the land of the free and brave 

And cherish the memories of the heroes giving their lives to save

No longer do we quarrel about small things every day
Instead we worry about our families and join our children at play
We lend a hand to a stranger and give a smile where there is none
We give without thinking to those in need; not stopping till it’s done

So let us all remember that bleak September day
When the world cried out in anger but knelt together to pray
We all became one people striving for the very same thing
To bring peace to world of hatred and love to each living thing

Penny Peterson, 2002