A gunman brought danger instead of grace;
his bullets shed blood in a praying place.
With dire death his seeds of hate would be sown.
Instead of evil, Love’s garland has grown.

The blossoms arose within my sore heart –
he can’t rip our petals, tear us apart!
We grow firm together, we’re planted strong
with a hand of friendship where all belong.

We mourned, we placed a mountain of flowers.
We stood with linked arms in vigils for hours;
sang songs and lit candles – rallied around
to show that fond hearts are here to be found.

We came in our thousands, gathered to pray
in mosque, church and temple, day after day.
Some don’t have a God, some don’t know a prayer;
they came to support and show their deep care.

Hate multiplies when grim payback is sought.
That is against all the best that is taught
in our faith and our hope – our trust in the good
when people are kind in our neighbourhood.

We sweat and we toil, we cheer and we curse;
we’ll cling to the good – to hate is perverse. 
We feel the same things: we all laugh and cry, 
we sing and we dance, we all bleed and die. 

Let’s care and share all the burdens of life
to lighten the load of such stress and strife.
We’re brothers and sisters in love and war;
let’s try to be fair – or what is Life for?