I was living in Santa Barbara, California, working on getting ready for a research trip to Yosemite when I was woken by a call from my daughter, Ayn, telling me to turn on my television. She then hung up.
The day was September 11, 2001.
The night before I had chatted with my oldest daughter, Morgan, who told me she was going to replace the credit card her boyfriend, John Fund, had, again, lost. The bank was located in Tower One. On that call we recalled the happy times we had shared at the Twin Towers, where we enjoyed an occasional treat at the Godiva chocolate shop in the concourse.
My heart pounding, I turned on the TV and watched the second tower melt away. It would be a long day.
Morgan answered the phone about seven hours later. She was alive. I wept in relief.
Late that night, as the hour clicked toward the next day, I wrote this poem.
From Violet, First Series
No. 20 - Crimson Blossoms Sheer and Rend
Crimson Roses rent the sky; bringing down the autumn sun.
Fracturing the pillared towers;
Sudden death writ red as flowers.
My mind arrested; could not accept, the changes sudden that deformed
The world I knew was shattered there,
inside an autumn newly born.
The scenes surreal, the tears, the shock; the frantic search for those we love.
Trembled tones and dust choked eyes.
The fall of towers from the sky.
Deforming shock of memories, rescinding trends of history.
From grief surrendered; steel bent scope.
Was reborn an edge for hope.
Our courage spent as offered gift; lives to save mean more than risk.
A shroud of dust had cloaked the sky
A cloak of courage, death denied.
A thousand little moments bled, in mind made journey, our griefs unsaid.
As human actions moved our minds.
Ears heard echoes of the divine.
Erupting roses burned our eyes, remaking worlds we will not see.
Recasting all our best beliefs;
replacing them with soul seared grief.
Transforming death; unbending love; our undeflected will to hope.
These the gifts that roses brought
revealing need for truer scope.
The day before I had made multiple calls, searching for news from anyone and everyone I knew in New York or Washington D. C. The need for aid, medical care, rescue units, was palpable. As I made calls, I had continued to watch TV and listen to the haunting news reports. I did not question the suggestions on who was responsible. The name of Osama ben Laden screamed through my mind. But one call to a barely remembered acquaintance in D. C. left a question in my mind.
His job had changed. He had been assigned to clearing the White House. As he passed Dick Cheney’s office, he heard loud voices. Veering toward the door he was stunned. Excited voices were laughing, and glasses were being filled. He paused, stepped back, and did not enter.
At the time, this barely registered. I thanked him, and hung up, on to the next call.
A year later, on the anniversary of 9/11 I wrote another poem.
No. 53 World Peace
Shock, surreal and unmade dreams,
Awoke my mind to silence screams.
A shroud of dust removed the light
As towers melted out of sight.
One year ago, our nation bled,
and mourned in anguish for the dead.
Today we will remember grief,
But also cherish hopes for peace.
Peace be with us, peace amend.
Make strangers family and all our friends.
Let peace for worlds begin at home,
all world peace is local grown.
No matter what else is true. This, we still need today.
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