I wrote these after 9/11
9/12/01
From a perfect blue September sky
Darkness fell
And we, a nation bound together in shock,
We sat
We watched
Overwhelmed by our awakening
Knowledge that yes,
We were one nation, yes
We were indivisible, yes
Our fellow workers, friends, mothers, fathers,
Pain was our own.
In panicked moments we
Phoned to make sure, that niece
That nephew, were they? Did he?
Touching base to ensure the
Safety of our own loved.
Aching, hurt, blind and bleeding from the
Cuts of cowardly madmen
Whose low acts made us
One injured entity.
Looking for avenues to assist
Praying for survivors
Longing for the normality of
The previous day.
Never again to rest on our laurels
Never again to take for granted
The freedom our fellow men
Enjoyed till the moment of their end.
Always to remember
In their honor,
For their children and ours,
That freedom must perpetuate.
9/21/01
In my hometown….
Folks congregate at the store to drink Cokes and smoke and
talk and catch up with old friends and see who's out and about.
Sunday fills the churches.
High school football is the sport of choice.
Prejudice and pride, partiality and tolerance live side by side.
In my hometown….
Elders teach us how to can figs and play 42.
We have fire ants and pine trees,
Beer drinkers and Baptists.
We don’t keep up with the Jones.
Your way is your way.
There are more pick-ups than cell phones,
Logging feeds families.
Our voices have a twang,
Our dogs are dawgs,
Our cars get oll.
Chicken fried steak is a food group.
In my hometown….
Computers are the latest greatest:
The internet not such a bad thing at all.
Daddy sells on ebay,
Mama emails kids who never call.
In my hometown….
Laziness meets with disapproval.
The police catch the bad guys.
Parents spank their children when they misbehave.
Children say "sir" and "ma’am,"
Knowing to forget such words is disrespectful.
In my hometown….
The pace is slower,
Folks say "hi,"
Look you in the eye,
Talk to you in the grocery store
Smile when they give you change
Usually forget to check your I.D.
In my hometown….
We need a break.
Our hearts are overwhelmed
with terror and injury
and hope.
Old Glory reigns
Patriotism runs high.
In my hometown….
We lit candles and prayed
It was a dream,
We sang
We re-united
Wishing that day had never come.
In my hometown….
We believe in "one nation, under God,"
"Truth, justice and the American way,"
The Golden Rule.
In my hometown….
We believe…
And that makes all things possible.
