Three Years Hence

Three years hence
and here we stand,
looking back
through time and fear,
sorrow and reflection,
to a world that stopped,
briefly.
Now poised
upon a precipice
of change and rebuilding,
promise and remembrance,
we seek a balance
between the need
to move forward
and the need
to never forget.
We struggle
to maintain
purpose and meaning,
acceptance and resolve,
in the face of
unanswered questions
and unassuaged anger.
In meeting
these challenges,
unwanted and terrible,
stinging and unforgiving,
only we can make
the difference
between faded hope
and enduring legacy.