Readings from September 11th, 2002

"Nation of Survivors," read by Coleen Curry
Author: Jack Foshee Jr.

In the bright September morning
without warning to us all,
A few thousand lives were shattered
and we watched two buildings fall.
And a billion souls felt empty,
and flags at half-mast fly
In memory of the innocent
which didn’t have to die.
We’ve lost brothers, sisters, cousins.
We’ve lost family and friends.
Bu we’ve made the choice
not to forget their lives and tragic ends.
Though we’ve had our share
of troubles we have put them all aside
As a nation grieves we find ourselves
defending them with pride.
We’re a nation of survivors,
with one heart we share a tear.
But we live to serve the memory,
not giving into fear.
Though they try to take security
with the things they’ve done and said,
All theirs acts of inhumanity
bring unity instead.
So we stand here as a family.
One heart, one soul, one voice.
We are challenged by this moment
and united here by choice.

"The Lady," read by Suneel Batula
Author: Dana Holland

I wonder what she thought
As she stood there, strong and tall.
She couldn’t turn away,
She was forced to see 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 -
And I know she must have cried.

"A.D. Aftermath of Destruction 9/11/01,"
read by Sarah Hoge
Author: Jennifer and Rose Carter

I saw the face of misery
While looking into a child’s eyes.
How could a country so strong
Suffer a great demise?
From slavery to the great depression
America has seen it all
Why is it as we’ve begun to come together?
It is now that we fall?
Now I know what it means to be American.
As citizens we share a common vein.
Race, color, sex or creed cannot divide us
When the pain we feel is the same.
Today, people lost friends and family
I have lost my peace of mind
Because today I was reminded
Of how the world can be so unkind.
We took for granted what God gave us
We forgot what it means to be free.
Remember now!
As the nation sits in stunned silence
Grieving, "from sea to shining sea."

"One," read by Chad Cunningham
Author: Cheryl Sawyer

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 of 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

"The Dust of September,"
read by Christine Morrison
Author: Christine Morrison

The dust of September
The dust, the smoke, the clouds
From the dust of September.
The sadness, the sorrow, the darkness
From the dust of September.
The pretty sites are gone, the love, the death
From the dust of September.
The families, the lives taken away
By the dust of September.
Our country is sad, but our country still stands
In the dust of September.
Our flag still waves
Through the dust of September.
We will never break, we will stand together
Through the dust of September.
People hurt, hearts broken, but we survive
In the dust of September.