(safe)

School morning in Arizona,
go to bathroom,
turn on the television,
volume too low to hear,
open the blinds.

(normal)

Head for computer,
settle, sip coffee, check mail,
unaware, innocent,
for the last time…soon
guilty, by genetic association.

(confused)

Eyes slip up to TV,
become puzzled,
‘commercial for a movie?’
Black night…dawns,
defying understanding.

(horror)

“No! Planes,
slamming into buildings!”
driven like a jagged stake
into faltering heart…
“No! No! Noo…”

(disbelief)

Two Towers, pierced, and burning!
Twins billowing smoke, people
jumping, falling, tumbling…
emergency workers dying,
soul fragments.

(agony)

Salt-staining anguish flows,
draining wounded eyes.
Her world, all worlds,
all lives, fractured,
by fanaticism.

(rupture)

The tears, won’t cease,
like the images, repeating,
devouring faith in the human race,
shattered, blighted,
covered in ashy malevolence.

(anger)

How could anyone do this,
plan this, hate this much?
How?!? Why?!?
They slaughtered innocents,
butchered world substance,
killed my soul’s heart… WHY?!?

(overload)

Collapsing, careening,
many perish, few escape,
bravery ending in death.
The world is colorless, shrouded,
diminished, hollowed by hate,
we are all
falling…

Erin Moen
9/9/03
Copyright 2003 ©

Time to have the uneasy scabs ripped off our souls by stark memories of that horrific day, I will never forget.