Singer/songwriter Mike Verge wrote The Garden for the dedication ceremony in 2004. That year and at almost all Honor Programs since, Mike has performed The Garden with a variety of other musicians, including his son, Dylan. The Garden has become an anthem for the Garden of Peace. Mike is a graduate of Berklee School of Music. Below is an excerpt from Mike’s statement about his experience writing The Garden.
"A little over a month before the dedication of the Garden of Peace, a friend asked if I would write a song to commemorate the Garden and the effort overall. I was thrilled and honored at this opportunity.
“After much thought, I felt the song should come from the point of view of a loved one of a victim—the survivor who needs to carry on. The Garden of Peace represents so much but the thing that stands out the most to me is healing. I approached the lyric from the loved one's point of view, and their never-ending healing process.
“I loved the imagery of the dry river and the Garden, so I incorporated that into the texture of the lyric. In this song, the Garden is a symbol of a place of healing, whether it be physical or spiritual. The singer goes to the Garden to find peace and tries not to erase the past, but to reconcile it. Even though at times it seems impossible, there is hope.”