Let freedom ring!
child of liberty,
the bell tolls for thee,
whose way to eternity is paved with lead.

No fallen soldier or hero in battle
would make you thus,
an emblem of sorrow,
or price of victory.

While cries of battle drown the
anguished mourning
of your flight–
carried small, heavy,
on shoulders worn with grief–
your voices linger in song and playful chatter.

Whose arms are these,
cold, unyielding,
which bear you into earth?
No mothers’ soft caress,
or fathers’ tight embrace,
to ease the way
this silent night.

Let Freedom Ring!
with metal, steel and lead;
Let freedom ring!
in fervent town hall clamour;
Let Freedom Ring!
Through the dreaded quiet
of empty classrooms.