A series of poems written by Carol "Scoop" Sulliven, Ellie Maziekien,
and myself following the posting of an anonymous poem "One" in the
days following the events of September 11th, 2001.
One
As the soot and dirt and ash rained down,
We became one color.
As we carried each other down the stairs of the burning
building
We became one class.
As we lit candles of waiting and hope
We became one generation.
As the firefighters and police officers fought their way
into the inferno
We became one gender.
As we fell to our knees in prayer for strength,
We became one faith.
As we whispered or shouted words of encouragement,
We spoke one language.
As we gave our blood in lines a mile long,
We became one body.
As we mourned together the great loss
We became one family.
As we cried tears of grief and loss
We became one soul.
As we retell with pride of the sacrifice of heroes
We become one people.
We are
One color
One class
One generation
One gender
One faith
One language
One body
One family
One soul
One people
We are The Power of One.
We are United.
We are America.
328. Two - September 21, 2001
Two worlds in one day;
the before and after
of the shadowed cloud.
Two sides pit against
a middle -
vengeance, retribution,
and justice.
Two towers fallen,
a world mourns.
Even as we march towards the future,
two soldiers side-by-side,
forget not those that walked before us,
carving this road
from war to peace.
Two wars have passed
through this world,
let not this be
the beginning of a third.
Three
What a Hawk needs for War
1. Blind Patriotism
2. Overzealousness
3. Hate
What a Dove needs for Peace
1. Love and Understanding
2. a Caring Nature
3. an Even Spirit
Can they ever come together?
1. Love and Hate
2. Peace and War
3. Secular and Non-Secular
How do we live
with the fear?
Like so many
before us . . .
How do we
take back our lives?
These are the moments
that define us as
Human Beings.
Do we Fight?
Do we Hate?
If we do . . .
What will we lose?
scoop 9/24/01
329b. Four - September 25, 2001
From the four corners of the world,
visitors came to the fabled land
of milk and honey.
To go to the four cities of the North -
a city of patriots, a city were dreams
are made, a city where liberty rung, and
the capital of the nation.
From all four directions -
people flocked,
to see the sights
that saw the envy of the world.
Such are the emotions that ran -
anguish, vengeance, sadness, and grief --
that we lament the death of many dreams -
security, faith, innocence and trust.
Four feelings that run rampant --
vengeance, hatred, justice ...
but where is hope?
Five
Sight, hearing,
Taste, touch
Smell
But what of speech?
If we are to use our voice
And our precious
Freedom of speech
We must be able
To speak our mind.
It is a choice we make
Whether to go headlong
And half cocked into a war
That will do nothing but
Kill
Or hold back our armies
And use our brains
Instead.
Ellie
Six
Six days
and hope still survives.
Six million voices
asking to help.
Six thousand candles
lit in remembrance.
Two times six plus two
and hope still survives.
The world has shown us
Compassion, anger, sympathy,
Love, hate, and hope.
We take all
and will be stronger for it.
scoop 9/25/01
329a. Seven - September 25, 2001
Some say the world was made in seven days,
but for so many,
their world crumbled two seven-days ago.
Seven vices and seven virtues,
where does the line that separates
"us" from "them" begin
or end?
The Bard spoke of seven Acts of Man,
but we seem stagnant in the fourth -
agitating for battle even as we abandon peace.
This will be no seven-day war,
nor even a seven-week, nor seven-month...
seven-year war as we struggle
to deal with terrors
from both without
and within.
Eight
Eight days a week
We need at least
that much to clean up
The devastation that has befallen us
As global citizens,
As the Brotherhood of Man,
we have all been wounded.
The crime rate is down
In New York City.
Even criminals
Have been affected
By the immensity of
The crime perpetrated
on That Day.
Have we been grievously hurt?
Yes
Can we recover?
Yes
Must we have war?
Ellie
Nine
In the 9th month
just after the 9th hour
our lives were
forever altered.
In that time
at least nine
hijackers
accomplished their goal.
Did they succeed?
In their eyes, yes.
In our eyes?
NO!
In the 9th month
just after the 9th hour
America became one
transending race, gender,
and political party.
In that same time
the world
came together
to help.
Can the 9th hour
of the 9th month
change the world?
We can but hope.
scoop 9/25/01
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