EACH DAY

Each day, in the rearview mirror,
I see behind me
the long snake of cars
along Bethel Valley Road,
some with headlights on,
some with headlights off.
All of us on our daily pilgrimage
to the national lab.
In the caravan are people with
variegated styles and gaits --
even while they are in their cars.

But all of us are going to the lab.
Some are doing it for the money,
some are doing it with patriotism in their hearts.
But all of us should be doing it with pride.
Because ORNL is an important segment
in the backbone of American research,
and has a rife history
of making discoveries that benefit our nation.
And it is because of each of us
performing our role in our small and sleek army,
each of us contributing in our own small way,
that ORNL continues to do so today.