with lit candles marching
from St. John's
thousands chanting
"Peace, Salaam, Shalom"

through crowds,
by holiday lighted trees,
on Michigan Avenue,
with many banners of faith,
thousands chanting
"Peace, Salaam, Shalom"

in front of thousands,
on Tribune plaza,
Bishop C. Joseph Sprague
of the United Methodist Church,
gave witness to peace,

"we protest:
the unamerican ideology of fist strike...

for sanity in the midst of insanity...

to pierce the veils of media giants.

it is unpatriotic not to do what we are doing...

we are going to lay down our burdens, our fear...

we are going to cross over the river...

we are going to give voice to the voiceless
in a crescendo of peace"

a big cheer

then Calvin Morris,
with the Society for Community Renewal,
led everyone in singing,
"we'll continue the struggle for peace,
down by the riverside..."

a young woman
next to a Chicago Divinity School banner,
said with glowing face...

"Oh my God,
look at all the people -
I have hope again."

November 15, 2002