In the quiet of our cabin,
I spoke out loud the words from John F. Kennedy's inaugural speech
that I had learned by heart long ago.
"Let the word go forth from this time and place,
to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed
to a new generation of Americans
tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace,
proud of our ancient heritage--
and unwilling to witness or permit
the slow undoing of those human rights
to which this Nation has always been committed."