November 2001

By now, most of you have probably heard or read the following poem which is attributed to a man who watched the horror of the World Trade Center collapse from the top of his Manhattan apartment. However, if you missed it, and regardless of whether the story is apocraphal, I believe the sentiment is worth repeating here.

Peace be with you..... Kate Knox

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 the firefighters and police officers fought their way into the inferno,

We became one gender.

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.

As we retell with pride the sacrifice of heroes,

We became one people.

WE ARE

One color,
One class,
One generation,
One gender,
One faith,
One language,
One body,
One family,
One soul,
One people.

We are the Power of One. We are United. We are America.