Let us not celebrate victory, but let us celebrate peace.

Let the bells ring out not in conquest and triumph,

But in freedom and justice.

The long night is over and a new dawn is rising.

Let us mourn both friend and foe whose lives -  so tragically lost.

Were they not the sons of mothers, raised from birth for life not death?

In their quest for power, leaders sacrificed our sons.

An ill-gotten cause.

Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Pol Pot; so many.

And now one more name.

Let us put enmity and hatred aside.

Let war be waged with ballot not  bullet.

Those that gave their lives suffer no more.

Only the living reflect on the battles now past.  

Into the valley of death rode the thousands.

Were they heroes or martyrs?

In death we become united, differences now forgotten.

A time to live and a time to die.

A time to rejoice and a time to cry.

A time for war and a time for peace.

Let us be magnanimous to those our enemies for so long,

Reconcile and rebuild, not revenge and rebuke.

In sweet dreams to sleep at last.