DEAR ABBY: On Sept. 11, 2001, our granddaughter, Christine Morrison, watched the tragedy unfold on television with the twin towers collapsing into heaps of dust. She went into her bedroom and wrote the poem that I have enclosed.
Her fourth-grade teacher thought it was so special she sent a copy to President Bush. Christine received a very special letter from Mrs. Bush thanking her for the poem.
We are proud of our talented granddaughter and hope you will find her words meaningful. -- LARUE AND HERB MORRISON, SALEM, OHIO
DEAR LARUE AND HERB: Your granddaughter embodies the determination of all our citizens to rebuild --- both physically and spiritually --- from the rubble of that horrific day. She's a strong and talented young girl who has already made a difference. Read on:
THE DUST OF SEPTEMBER
By Christine Morrison, Grade 4
The dust of September
The dust, the smoke, the clouds
from the dust of September.
The sadness, the sorrow, the darkness
from the dust of September.
The pretty sites are gone, the love, the death
from the dust of September.
The families, the lives taken away
by the dust of September.
Our country is sad, but our country still stands
in the dust of September.
Our flag still waves
through the dust of September.
We will never break, we will stand together
through the dust of September.
People hurt, hearts broken, but we survive
in the dust of September.