I wrote this poem on September 14th, 2011, and have posted it on the anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the US somewhere every year since.
~Nancy
~Nancy
They
Did Not Die In Vain
All
humanity sighed
As
souls left the earth
Lives
taken swiftly
Unjustly
so
They
died not in vain
For
tears and remorse
Wash
clean the blood
On
the crumpled edifices
Of
steel and concrete
That
makes civilization grand
But
buildings do not define us
Within
we are human
Warm
and alive
Full
of stories
Martyrs
they became, oh yes
But
so much more
Every
last one
A
living testament
To
faith
Hope
Pride
Charity
Accomplishment
And
the greatest force on earth
Love
We
watched in horror
Over
and over again
As
the events were replayed
And
reactions were given
Stunned
looks
Terror
in the streets
Angry
oaths
Silent
sobs
Open
weeping
Our
brethren were stoic
Or
they cried and pleaded
They
were dead heroes or victims
But
they were all alive
Just
moments before
Without
any foreknowledge
Of
their place in history
Etched
on our minds
Engraved
on our hearts
For
eternity
I
wept with them
The
ones who died
The
living left behind
The
shattered hopes and dreams
Like
the rubble in the streets
Made
us all stop and think
That
could be me!
I
watched stunned
And
vowed as did others
We
will overcome this
We
are one people
We
are humane and caring
This
cannot be!
Who
dares challenge that right?
To
live free and open lives
To
send fear into our hearts
And
sorrow of the most profound
For
after all is said and done
Nevermore
will we trust
With
the heart of innocents
That
we are safe and protected
In
this womb of our building
In
this fortress of our sovereignty
Will
the swords of justice
Smite
down the aggressors
And
bring us peace and redress?
Or
just a sense of revenge
I do
not know
But
I do know this
They
died not in vain
Who
gave their lives for freedom
And
to help their fellow man
For
as the tragedy struck
And
lives hung in the balance
Or
were snuffed out
I
saw birds rise from the buildings
Sun
on their wings
Angels
of nature
Reminding
me that there is a better place
Where
there is no grief or pain
And
no thoughts of war
May
they live there forever
Those
poor wretched souls
Till
we join them again
And
amid all the rubble
The
twisted beams of steel and concrete
The
dust and the fires
Papers
fluttered to earth
A
poignant reminder
We
once lived and worked here
Do
not forget us
We
live on in your hearts
Forevermore
We
did not die in vain
If
the world becomes a better place
Because
we once showed you
How
to care about your brethren
And
to value all you have
No
matter how small it is
Or
how rude and humble
Life
is a gift
