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Writer's pictureAnola Clasing

9-11








I wrote this poem on September 14, 2001, at 3:01 in the morning. I'm not even sure I can call it a true poem because the writing is so raw. I'm publishing it exactly as it was written, with all of its flaws showing. It may not be my best writing, but it is one of my most heartfelt pieces. I'm not a poet and have never claimed to be, but this was how I felt during those dark days.

-Anola Clasing



"Oh my God, a plane just crashed into the World Trade Center," she said

Shock! I don't comprehend

A thought interrupted, a voice filters through

Another plane just hit the other tower

One word - hijacked

The White House - bombed

No wrong information, The White House is fine

Fear, Panic - Is my family alive?

Relief, short-lived

Another bomb masquerading as a plane penetrates the pentagon

We are under attack

Evil unleashed

Our country, our consciousness violated, raped

Television - undulating moving pictures

Rewinding, replaying, reminding, reliving

Forever engraved in my mind

The Twin Towers - once so strong, now struggling to survive

Her bones breaking, muscles tearing, she's faltering

We watch as she withers, desperate to stay erect

Her wound - Fatal

She is overcome - she falls

Twins no more

Horror Disbelief

Her sister now stands alone

Grief Stricken - weeping smoke and fire - trying to stand tall

Soaring above the clouds of her sister's remains

She succumbs, joining her sister

Twins once more

Gone

A scream with no voice

Rivers of tears

Who did this?

Why?

Why?

Why?

Rats insects, ready willing, no wanting to die

Phones calls from doomed planes

"I love you"

"Goodbye"

"Tell them, I'll love them always"

"We are going to take back the plane!"

Heroes - Americans

"I give blood. What else can I do?"

Ground Zero

We need supplies - I'll take supples to the needy

"What else can we do?"

Unsung heroes

No money

No glory

No political position

Questions asked

"Why are you doing this?"

"I need to help"

Planes - wings clipped - airspace is closed

People trapped - people entombed

Body bags - numbers too high to accept

One word - Horror

Our families torn, never to be the same

Mother, Father, Wife, Husband, Brother, Sister, Cousin, Friend

Searching - Missing

"Where are you?"

Hope

A country of one - Cohesion

Tragedy, fear, anger, mourning - A strong glue

Locked together - United

Waters no longer separate us

The Star-Spangled Banner played at Buckingham Palace

America's extended families - holding us sharing our grief

Prayer vigils - candlelit crystalline tears

Destroy us?

Never!

The Pentagon - Found - Our symbol

A field of blue covered in stars

Stripes of red and white

"And our flag was still there!"

Old Glory - a salve - a balm

Healing - slowly repairing our lost souls

The best of humankind unleashed

We will survive

We will embrace tragedy

We will defeat our enemies

A country of one

One heart, one mind, one soul

A bond that no explosive can obliterate

Our love

Our strength

Our pride

Our Honor

Color, religion, culture no longer dividing us

We are every woman

We are every man

We are American!

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