By Blessing Maya

One day, one attack
Changed the lives of many people.
Many stories began, and many dreams came to an end.
Many lives were lost. Many did not know why.
Many died. Many fought for what was right.
Many could not fight.

I would send you many paintings,
The day you would no longer see me as an enemy.
I would place flowers at your door,
The day you would no longer see me as an enemy.

The children did not know they were trapped,
Living inside invisible prisons.
Born here, yet treated as strangers in their own land.
Japanese by heritage, American by birth,
Misunderstood, yet they stood strong.

Don’t hurt your own family
Just because their roots come from another tree.
Their roots are here too,
Just like yours and mine.

From the ashes of war, a new dawn rises.
Two nations, once divided, grow closer.
Cherry blossoms bloom beside the Tidal Basin,
As symbols of peace, friendship, and hope.

Together we stand across the ocean wide,
In friendship and hope, side by side.