What in God's Name

Watching the tragic 9/11 attacks unfold

(Written on the fateful day of 9/11 when terrorism showed its ugly face)

Someone in a far off Arab land

Has named himself Sword of Revenge

And has subverted the aim of nations --

His and ours -- cheering the sorrow.

Our own bright world of freedom reels

As evil, cowardly acts impinge

On an unprepared people, leaving

Uncounted throngs with no tomorrow.

 

So much pain swirls in the wake

Of the hundreds fallen to such evil,

Put down by a pathetic horde

Who holds infamy the ticket to paradise.

Some say the same God hovers over all

Whose actions His laws compel;

But my God would not lead me to inflict

Such devastation, hurt and lies.

 

Like lambs, the innocents get swept up

In a vortex of destruction and hate.

Since the dawn of time, mankind has

Killed and maimed and has enslaved.

The American people will forever feel

The sufferings brought to bear this date

As the Evil One uses the guise of religion

To control men's minds -- depraved.

 

In our own lives we needle and dicker

And infringe on the good nature

Of those we deal with each day.

I often long for goodness to hold sway.

It is only by placing ourselves second

That we gain respect and stature

As we make our mark for posterity

And teach our young how to pray.

 

I wonder what images the hideous perpetrators

Will paint to their children of this deed

To bring a nation to its knees

With such inhuman cruelty. How will they

Justify the sense of loss and heartache --

For foe or friend -- as countries strike back

And rain down justice, each and severally?

Will they say they are the "good guys"

Who struck at the ultimate bad thing,

The epitome of all that is wrong in the world?

 

With a child upon a knee, will they say

Ends will justify the means as did Marxism

Or some cruel king? I fear our response

Will be as lethal as the terrorists --

By edict and decree -- for, alas, the cost

Of America's unity may be the very rules

That make us a clarion call for freedom.

 

Will our leaders order martial law

And take our guns away? Will we depart

As a nation from Jeffersonian focus

On inalienable rights that lift you and me?

A nation of laws must be preserved,

Or otherwise I may decline to take part.

And like me, will others say nay?

Might that will begin to rip

At the foundation of this great nation --

This beacon in a darkened world

Marching toward its doom?

 

 

With that light quenched, the murky night

Might let run amok the conflagration,

The ruination, the End Times written of

By Nostradamus from his little room.

Whatever comes next, things will get

Much worse before we see improvement.

Events could bring the final resolution

Of centuries of strife in the Middle East.

A time of agony will come. Tell your sons

They may have to die. Prepare to lament.

Hug your daughters and say you hope

Their babies may see a brighter day, at least.

 

We trust our God that ultimately good

Will prevail. We know that our own place

In history is secure. Yet no nation

On Earth has ever achieved unlimited glory.

The good things that have evolved across

This planet no tyrant would embrace.

If the Evil One triumph, then only another

Son of God could finalize such a story.

Yet one Son of God is enough. We know

He may return soon, with heavenly hosts

As promised, to put down the Evil One

For all time. But in our hour of torment,

It is up to us to console the kin,

Heal the injured, aid the orphans,

Make the most of these sad times.

But most of all we must pray

That our leaders be heaven-sent.

 

Author's Note

I wrote these words that fateful day a stunned world watched in agony the horrible events of 9-11 unfold. Every loving poetic heart cried out that day, praying for men’s souls, scribbling notes, or forming words while fingering a musical instrument.

Reviews

[barleygirl]

I'm amazed at how much you had to say on this day. I was stunned into shocked silence for quite a long while. I prefer the parts of your essay where you do not get into revenge & damnation, even tho these responses are completely understandable. I'm actually surprised by some of your questioning like: "will they take away our guns?" -- that seems a far-fetched idea! But I guess all kinds of extremes can cross a person's mind when something this unexpected happens. It opens up our minds to other dire possibilities, I guess. Nice to post this as the day of remembrance rolls around again! (((HUGS))) Fondly, Margie

[alanwgraham]

Hi Doug, This is a heartfelt and well expressed response to he shocking events of that awful day. I cannot claim to be an expert but I think that distance and time has allowed us to view what happened in a different light. The history of what led up to the 9/11 attack and then what happened is very complex and not agreed. The bombers appeared to be of a Saudi background so the subsequent invasion of Iraq and all that led to with millions of deaths is hard to understand. Also i would point out that the God of Christians is the same God as that of Islam. I agree that there is no excuse for acts like these but we must do our best to understand the reasons.
Regards,
Alan

[Carolynn]

Very powerful and true. There is much pain and sorrow all over the world and yes we all await the day that justice will be served once and for all - amen!

[bigfootprint]

Thanks Carolynn, seems like terrorists are hiding under every rock these days.

[bigfootprint]

Yes, Margie. Appearances and pretexts comprise the engine that pulls politics along. Maybe facts -- some of which have not yet surfaced -- but certainly not inane speculation about this mysterious tragedy apply to the betterment of the nation. Any chink in a leader's armor becomes a target for his enemies -- foreign or domestic. A shroud of secrecy over any official investigation destroys public confidence in the findings. Those same issues I raised have been fodder for idiocy in the daily leftist media dance. Thank you for your critique. It is refreshing to see that you as a reviewer actually understood and thought about the contents of the essay. Intellectual response is always better than an emotional one based on predispositions. Sweeping evidence under the rug becomes a travesty of justice. Like the assassination of JFK and the analyse of the Mars samples and photos, there are unresolved issues in the 9/11 tragedy.