That Day, and Since

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That Day, and Since

Forget?

Impossible.

Lives lost in flamed towers,

toppled, we steer, unmoored—we move

forward.

 

This is a Crapsey Cinquain (syllables 2/4/6/8/2) for Colleen’s Tanka Tuesday, using synonyms for plan and finish.

On 9/11 I always think of this song from the musical Ordinary Days—performed here by Audra McDonald. I think it goes with my poem.

 

 

 

 

 

45 thoughts on “That Day, and Since”

  1. Indeed. Forgetting is not possible. An article in the Des Moines Register this morning detailed the dramatic increase in incidence of cancers and cancer-related deaths occurring in the first responders and anyone who helped in the aftermath of the 9/11 tragedy.

  2. I have goosebumps reading your Cinquain and listening to the music… Wow! I bet most of us have that moment carved into our memories. Very poignant words, Merril. ❤

  6. I lived outside of DC at the time. What I remember most of that morning was the crystal blue sky and the silence that filled the skies in the hours that followed when all planes were grounded. A coworker came into my office and told me her brother had called about a plane that hit one of the towers. We turned on the TV in the conference room and watched the second tower fall. It truly was a life changing day. My father lost several colleagues at the Pentagon, where he and I had both worked. Thank you for your beautiful tribute, Merril.

    • Thank you very much, Jill.
      I’m sorry for your dad’s loss–and that must have touched you, too. Were you in the military? I also remember what a beautiful September day it was, and I just commented on someone else’s blog about how quiet it got–we live almost directly across the Delaware from the Philadelphia airport.

      • Thank you, Merril. No, during my college years, I was a summer hire and worked for the Secretary of Defense. My father was a civilian with the Army. It was eerily quiet in the hours that followed. My parents were actually playing golf with friends at a course near the Pentagon. The plane flew overhead and my mother asked my father, “Why is that plane flying so low?” And then they heard the explosion.

  8. Oh, I remember it all. When I went across our busy road (538) to get the mail, I watched all the drivers. For the first time in my life I thought, “I know what everyone is thinking about.” I feel sad that my children don’t remember a time where such a thing is unthinkable.

  10. I felt myself topple a bit as I saw those towers fall, and with any of the ongoing cruelty in the world, but… with resolve to move on and lift each other, so well written. thank you merril.

  13. This is beautiful. I meant to post something for 9/11, but my week was so chaotic I’ve just gotten to it and hope to post it tonight. Interestingly, I used Colleen’s words too. (K)

  14. Pingback: Colleen’s #Tanka Tuesday #Poetry Challenge Recap No. 101, “Finish & Plan”, #SynonymsOnly | Colleen Chesebro ~ The Fairy Whisperer

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