It should be even hotter this day, deep in July

but there’s a cool breeze ruffling the Potomac

as we walk along the National Mall

We stop at the tall obelisk,

We run our hands along the wall engraved with the names of the dead

watch an old man trace the memory of his beloved’s ghost

We climb the stairs to the place where Lincoln sits, towering over the crowd

reminding us to cherish a just and lasting peace, just within our reach

We breathe the air as one

We push through museum’s heavy doors,

spaces filled with curiosities and collections

objects of wonder, categorized and stored

mementos of the past

war and sacrifice

the fight for freedom

A helicopter whirs overhead

The wind picks up

distorting the shimmery shadows of the reflecting pool

history is heavy with the reminders of what’s at stake

We breathe this air as one

We are the people

We rise