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
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About katemccarrollmoore
Kate Moore’s passion is literacy, and she serves as a mentor teacher and staff developer throughout the greater Bay Area. Kate served three terms as the City of San Ramon's Poet Laureate (2012-2018); she also teaches poetry writing workshops and is an instructor in the Master of Arts in Teacher Leadership (MATL) program at St. Mary’s College of California. She was honored as SRVUSD Teacher of the Year in 2007 and San Ramon Chamber of Commerce Educator of the Year in 2009. Kate holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership for Social Justice from California State University, East Bay, an M.A. in Teacher Leadership from St. Mary’s and a B.A. in English Education from SUNY Albany. She and Bob Moore are the proud parents of four beautiful grown daughters, and the smitten grandparents of six beautiful children who fill them with hope for the future.
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