I Remember(Tribute to 9/11)

This is a tribute to all of us through out the world that felt the impact of Sept 11, 2001. My heart still to this day hangs a little heavier with sadness. I say thank you to all you out there that still struggle and fight, trying to make this world a bet

September 11, 2001
Do you remember where you were when you heard the news
At work,
in the car,
maybe even at home
Most days have a way of being forgotten,
but not this day

This day, most of the world stood still,
silent,
afraid,
not even really knowing what to think
As battle lines had been drawn
On city streets,
This false sense of safety shattered beyond repair
As a country’s heart sank in despair

I remember
Yes I remember
As I stood at work listening to the radio
When the report of the first plane crash came across
Then as they spoke of the tragedy
the second report filled the air waves
“We’re under attack”

I stopped; I could not believe the words I heard
The reality of what had happened sank in,
the lives of so many innocent people taken
tears appeared on this stone cold face I wear
As my heart broke, I wept
Stepping outside because of my foolish pride
couldn’t let them see me feeling so weak
Seeking god’s help to just understand why
I prayed

As my eyes peered into the sky
Seeming, as birds were even afraid to fly
The streets empty, abandoned,
as if this city was asleep
I am sure we were all hoping that we would awaken
and this would have been nothing more than a bad dream
But as the news spread coast to coast and across the seas
a message was received

That this act would now and forever be felt,
the world stood humbled in the days that followed
Reflecting, consumed by grief,
as the hurt and anger gave way
This was a slap in the face
that echoed around the world

Yes I remember
I remember listening to a mother try to explain,
as she masked her own fears and pain
Why someone would do these things

Yes I remember
Each and every time I see plane fly overhead
The impact that day had

Yes I remember
For the first time in my life
This nation was unified,
a fellowship of man was felt
We were now a nation,
not just a country of people

It is true
Most days have a way of being forgotten,
but not this day
Because
I remember

Author's Note

I Do Remember and as long as there are those of us that never forget the horrific event of that day and all the lives that were taken. They those men, women, and children will never be forgotten.

This is a tribute to all of us through out the world that felt the impact of Sept 11, 2001. My heart still to this day hangs a little heavier with sadness. I say thank you to all you out there that still struggle and fight, trying to make this world a better place.

Reviews

[Fabian G. Franklin]

I wrote a piece about war awhile back called, If it doesn't touch you. 911 was war touching America. But first, it touched Osama Bin Laden when we launched cruise missiles into his backyard killing his wives and children. Who cries for them? We speak of the war on terror but war IS terror. War is the killing of innocents and the spilling of their blood. It is the butcher of babies and the slaughter of women and we Americans act as though we are above that when we are one of the major perpetrators of the practice so we need to stop practicing what we preach against and quit kicking hornet's nests and complaining when we're stung. It's just stupid. If we want peace we must begin with peace and not stray from the course except in self-defense. By 911, that option no longer lay open. We fired the first shots, drew first blood. Does it so astound the world that someone might fight back? Anyway they could? I say our government is as much to blame for the death of each of those civilians as the so called "terrorists" (here, we would call them "freedom fighters") are themselves. Yes, people died. Innocents died. That is war. And we have been dealing it out ever since, killing the innocent with the guilty. So, my only question is, when will it stop? Our government submitted its own soldiers to contamination by radiation and chemical warfare as part of their "training" during WW11. That is historical fact. Not to mention how many we killed of our own people in Viet Nam for nothing. Remember agent orange? The poisoness defoliating agent sprayed on our troops? They can't even get confirmation from our government the stuff was poison when they are dying from it. My brother was there and there was much worse. A few thousand die here and are nobly immortalized but ten times or a hundred times that many can die overseas without much notice. Why is that? Are their lives less precious on foreign soil? It seems so. I am so tired of the finger pointing when nobody is being held responsible for their actions. But justice, like charity, must begin at home, just my thoughts.

[Jack]

Living in New York City I feel this sense of reality that you captured here. The fact WE can never forget that day nor would ever want to. The event of that day, weeks, months that followed will forever be a part of so many including myself. I lost two friends that day and I still carry their pictures in my wallet. Thank you for not forgetting.

[Blackbirdsong]

In just two days it will be the 7th year anniversary of 9/11....it's amazing that so much time has passed since that horrible day. Here in NY there was this odd stillness afterwards that was eerie. We'd hear a plane fly overhead and jump because it was so quiet. Then we'd see it was military aircraft and we knew where they were going. It was really a horrible time and the whole country was so deeply affected by it. Great write here as always Robert and thanks for writing this wonderful tribute.