Piece by Piece

2006 5th-6th Grade Honorable Mention

I see the women sitting there
working like dogs
sewing in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory.
For 12-14 hours a day,
sitting there,
sitting there
sewing away.

Until that day, that tragic day,
the smoke rising,
the women ran to the door,
but escape they could not.
146 women died that tragic day.
The day of The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire.

Piece by piece,
shattered lives,
the building went up in smoke.
These strong women were forced to sew
all day long...

And now I have the liberty to sew
with my very hands
thread by thread,
while these women were shut and locked in
like birds in a cage.

A protest cried out,
piece by piece
the protest led to independence
for women, for children.

Piece by piece
our country came together
piece by piece.

Not because of just one man,
not because of just one person,
because of everyone,
piece by piece.