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There were many poems that I thought might serve to mark this occasion
appropriately, but in the end it seemed most suitable to share the
words of Langston Hughes. His poems are often full of anger and
sometimes great bitterness. But this particular poem expresses, I
think, much of the emotion felt by so many on this day.

Give Us Our Peace

Give us a peace equal to the war

Or else our souls will be unsatisfied,

And we will wonder what we have fought for

And why the many died.

Give us a peace accepting every challenge—

The challenge of the poor, the black, of all denied,

The challenge of the vast colonial world

That long has had so little justice by its side.

Give us a peace that dares us to be wise.

Give us a peace that dares us to be strong.

Give us a peace that dares us to still uphold

Throughout the peace our battle against wrong.

Give us a peace that is not cheaply used,

A peace that is no clever scheme,

A people's peace for which men can enthuse,

A peace that brings reality to our dream.

Give us a peace that will produce great schools—

As the war produced great armament,

A peace that will wipe out our slums—

As war wiped out our foes on evil bent.

Give us a peace that will enlist

A mighty army serving human kind,

Not just an army geared to kill,

But trained to help the living mind

An army trained to shape our common good

And bring about a world of brotherhood.

Langton Hughes