PostPoems Be Artistic. Be Creative. Be Inspired!

Let me tell you about Duluth…one of the many highlights of our trip

She has an aerial lift bridge (which from our hotel room we could view)

where the entire road is lifted up so the big ships can float through.

It’s Interesting when a ship is through the channel 

it gives a horn sequence of two long and then two short toots

which the bridge operator repeats…completing the salute.

Duluth is a beautiful city…from our hotel it was such a thrill

to see the waters of Lake Superior as well as the houses on her hills

We took a scenic ride up into those hills…paused to enjoy the summer flowers

then stopped to visit atop Enger hill…a place called Enger Tower.

In the park where Enger tower sits…(the wonders of this trip never seem to cease)

there is a Japanese Zen garden and a huge bell…dedicated to peace.

The gardens are quite beautiful…peace is a beautiful thing

and in the quiet of the gardens you are encouraged to make the peace bell ring. 

he USS Duluth took Ohara-Isumi’s, original bell in World War II…after Japan’s fall

and gave it to Duluth…where it was displayed in their city hall.

Years later Ohara-Isumi asked that it be returned …hoping for a good deed

to which the city of Duluth wholeheartedly agreed.

So long after a devastating war was over…Ohara-Isumi, gave Duluth a call

they put their differences aside and became sister cities after all.

Ohara-Isumi gave Duluth this  peace bell…a replica of the one they had returned…

reminding us when it comes to war and peace…we still have a lot to learn.

As together Deborah and I made that bell chime

we thought of the men and women who fought and died all those years before

with the hope that ringing a peace bell could help stop all future wars.

We made two long then two short chimes on that bell

as a salute to those men and women who fought and died following their commands

praying one day peace will ring out

 in every household, 

every city

every corner of every land.,,