So, September 11, 2001. Man, that was a day of days. I had just had a new baby three months and one day prior. I was asleep and the phone rang. My stepdad answered and told me the phone was for me. I get to the phone (my now ex-husband, our two kids and I were living with my mom and terminally ill stepfather) and to my shock and amazement, it was my then husband's older sister. At the time, my ex's family called me by a nickname I no longer use. A name I kinda gave myself. For the sake of this true story, though, I'll use my real name.
"Rosalyn! Did you hear about what happened?"
"No, I just woke up. What's going on?"
"A plane just crashed into one of the twin towers!"
"WHAT?!"
"Yeah, they're saying it was on purpose!"
"Oh my God!"
I picked up my three-month-old and went downstairs to the den. I got the remote and turned on the TV. I turned it to a news station, and the world just stood still. There, on television, was a building with black smoke billowing out. I shook my head and almost forgot I was holding the phone. I just clutched my tiny baby to my chest. What was happening to the place that once held so much promise? Why were we under attack? My sister-in-law broke my thoughts.
"I can't believe this is happening. I'm scared they might call D-- (her husband) back into service. They might even start the draft again. M--- (my ex) might be drafted in! I'm so scared for my husband and baby brother!"
"Oh my God, I hadn't even thought of that!"
"I knew something like this would happen someday. It was inevitable. I just never thought I'd see it in my lifetime."
"Me neither."
As we spoke, we both grew silent and watched in horror as another plane deliberately turned and flew into the other Twin Tower. My jaw dropped and my eyes grew wide. Same as they are now as I type this, just remembering it. It was such an evil, surreal scene. What the hell did we just watch? It was far scarier than any action film. This was REAL, and it was happening on NATIONAL FRIGGIN' TELEVISION!
"Rosalyn, DID YOU SEE THAT?"
"I was just about to ask you that!"
"Oh my God. I'm gonna hang up. I have to process this!"
I sat and watched for as long as I could. I watched while I breastfed my baby. I only stopped watching when my two-year-old (they would turn three in less than a month) woke up and was hungry. After I fed them, I took both of my babies downstairs, and though I turned the television to the cartoons for my kids, I kept flipping back to the news for further updates. The Pentagon was hit. A plane went down in Pennsylvania. The towers fell. Other buildings near the towers fell.
That day, the world stopped, and I can't forget.
So, in honor of that day, here are two poems I wrote in remembrance. This is for the 2,996 people who died on that day. Blessings to all who read this, and thank you for your time.
Never Forget
Never
Forget...
The
tears or the screams
The
horror, terror, agony, confusion
The
shock, the anger, the wondering
The grief, the watching, the waiting...
Never
Forget...
How
the buildings collapsed
How
the Pentagon was hit
How
the plane crashed in Pennsylvania
How
he went from reading to a class full of children
To
looking concerned
Never
Forget...
How
we pulled together
How
we all cried together
How
we comforted each other
How
we pulled for one another
How
hate turned to love
How
peace turned to war
Never
Forget...
The
one we're looking for
Who
took away our calm
And
turned it into fear
Who
took away our laughter
And
turned it into tears
Who
took away our comfort
And
turned it into suspicion
Never
Forget...
How
a few months turned into years
How
life goes on, but we still worry
How
they still fight despite many protests
How
they miss their loved ones dearly
How
they think of their families' freedom
When
they fire off their guns
How
they're afraid that this may be their last day
But
they still fight with tears in their eyes
Never
Forget...
That
prayers are the least we can do
For
the families who suffered loss
For
the people who survived
For
the troops still overseas
And for those of us who pray it never happens again.
©
September 10, 2004
So Glad I Listened
So
glad I listened
To
the voice in my head
Telling
me to call in
Stay
home with my family
Enjoy
all I have
Bask
and be grateful
So glad I listened
To what was in my heart
“No Towers today,” I said
As I lifted my baby
With a smile on my face
And a sweet song in my heart
So glad I listened
When I stopped my husband
From going out the door
I asked him to stay home
Change his clothes
And have a family day
So glad I listened
To instincts that told me
Don’t turn on the TV yet
Don’t listen to the radio
Only say prayers of thanks
Only be glad you stayed home
When we finally heard
Sometime before noon
We could only stare
Stare in disbelief
Stare in shock
Share the abject grief
We called our families
We ensured them we were home
We held our little baby
We held onto each other
We thought of our friends at work
Friends we would never see again
We thought of months of work
Up in flames or flying in the air
We saw the news reports
Saw people jumping
Saw people plummeting
We could only imagine their fear
So glad I listened
I’m thankful, really
For had I not done that
I wouldn’t be here now
My husband would be gone
Our baby would be alone
We had to listen
Sometimes you just should
It’s not being selfish
It’s not being careless
For sometimes listening
May save your very life
Rosie P.
© 9/10/2017
8:07 AM
Comments
Post a Comment