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!