I woke today and thought about the date
And wondered at how much has changed since then
Yet even now our world is filled with hate
And politics brings out the worst of men.
How long a stretch of time time is fifteen years?
One would have thought enough for us to learn
That giving in to hatreds and to fears,
Is not a way to build, but just to burn.
I only hope that all of us today
Will truly honor those whose lives were lost
By turning messengers of fear away
For hate is never worth its awful cost.
Our better angels call us from above
When human hearts can find a way to love.