Poems

~This Moment~

Life as we know it has changed.
No longer are we a society of quiet souls.
We have been violated.
We must fight back.

How to regain our control?
Some say fight, some say faith.
Others say nothing.

Tears, bitterness, shock and anger litter our minds
And take over our souls.
All I can think about is this moment.

At this moment:
Several people are crying, hoping their
family and friends will be found.
Many are mourning the losses they cannot begin to explain.
A mother is bittersweet with the birth of her new child
and the loss of her husband.
Hero's are being lauded for taking down a terrorist plot.
Men, women and search dogs look with hope in
their hearts for survivors.
Americans are lighting candles and saying prayers
for lost souls.
America, as a nation, has become stronger.

At this moment, I sit here with tears in my eyes
and a sadness in my heart wondering when will
we feel safe again? When will this all end?

At this moment, I am thankful for what I have.
My home, family, friends, and a life that never understood
War, until that moment, September 11, 2001.

Now, I long for that quiet moment, when peace is restored,
And that moment, turns from sadness, grief and loss to
A moment of triumph and a moment of glory.

©Kryss Stephan
9/15/01

Joining Together

Take my hand
Join me as One
As we circle the Globe
One as a family

Take my hand
Join me in prayer
For those lost, and in pain
For those who hurt us

Take my hand
Join me in love
May we be united
One Nation, One World, One Family

©Ayosdi Way 9/13/2001

Defenceless under the night
Our world in stupor lies;
Yet, dotted everywhere,
Ironic points of light
Flash out wherever the Just
Exchnage their messages;
May I, composed like them
Of Eros and of dust,
Beleagured by the same
Negation and despair,
Show an affirming flame.

© W.H. Auden

contributed by Patricia Jackson of PSPClass2

September 11, 2001

September 11, 2001 will go down in history
Yet the one responsible remains a mystery

Thousands of people had died that day
In the most inhuman and tragic way

Thousands of pepole and families have lost
For unknown knowledge
Innocent people paid the cost

The loss of so many in a matter of hours
Questions that run through our minds
I thought our country was the one with the power.

The sky is filled with clouds of sorrow
We pray to God, we won't feel as sad tomorrow

Stephanie Naranjo
Age 16
Written on September 12, 2001

 

In a world thought to be safe,
Lies the fear of death, terror, devastation.
Everywhere we go, we are at risk.
People try to put this fear in the back of their mind,
hoping it will go away.
But it is and always will be there
Reality or not.
Unfortunately, it is now reality.
As the World Trade Center and Pentagon shot up in flames,
the United States felt sheer terror.
Watching them crumble to the ground.
Watching people jumping to their deaths.
Some holding hands, others alone.
The people of the United States were stunned.
Too afraid to move, yet too afraid to stay.
They realized it was no longer a nightmare.
It was reality.
But we as a nation can try our hardest to stop it.
To ride ourselves of these people who are so hateful,
they would kill themselves to see us in pain.
People who feel no guit in killing innocent people of all ages,
genders, races and religions.
We are not fighting totally for revenge.
I think we are fighting for the people.
Not just the living but those who were killed.
Those who were taken for no reason.
We are fighting for the families who are now incomplete.
To them we owe the biggest thank you and our deepest of sorrow.
For these are the people who have dedicated the most.
Thank you and God Bless!!!

Tiffany Kunkel- age 13
8th grade

"It Used To Be"

It used to be we were divided by the color of someone's skin, or by the religion they practiced, or if they were democrat or republican.

It used to be we would take for granted the fact that we lived in a nation of freedom and safety, and that everyday things came easy and meant so much.

It used to be I was rude to someone who got in my way or did me wrong.
The fact that I never gave someone else another thought.

It used to be the flag was only important to display on the fourth of July. That in the months between, it was stored and hidden from view.

It used to be that when I prayed, it was for my own safety and the safety of my family. Never once including a stranger in my plea with God.

But on Sept. 11th 2001
everything changed for everyone.
Not just in the United States, but across the world. A wake up call to say the least.

Now I try not to look a people differently.
I look at them now and thank God they're alive.
Now I cherish everyone,
Not just material things I thought were so important.

Now I run to someone who I think I can help, or just to be nice to,
Or just to smile at.

Now I can't find enough flags to display at my home,
In my car.
On myself.
From now on a flag will always wave at my home, no matter what day of the year it is.

The terrorist's were able to kill people.
But they weren't able to kill America!
We are now united in every way.
We've become compassionate, generous and proud all over again....
The way it should have been all along.

~*~Terri Eyster~*~
Sept. 21, 2001