The Day the Towers Fell

So many lives lost
never to be found.
Dreams crumbled,
leaving only debris.
Families torn;
futures destroyed.
Lives shattered
like broken glass.

Too-short pasts
remembered.
Final "I Love Yous"
cherished forever
from cell phone calls
made in a panic.
Loved ones listened,
but were helpless.

Planes grounded;
our lives halted.
Color put aside
to mourn and heal.
Photos left
with diminishing hope;
maybe their loved ones
survived the ordeal.

Parades to honor
brave heroes fallen
and those still standing
will uncover the dead.
A moment of silence,
then a week, then a year.
Still in disbelief-
a whole nation in pain.

But we'll  recover
while the world still suffers.
Their buildings toppled
from generations of war.
Soldiers in the street;
churches are bombed.
No nation to mourn
as they bury the dead.

Children with guns
go hungry to sleep;
some will die
before morning comes.
A boy with one leg
sleeps near a burning tank.
Women are stoned
and damaged by kin.
Men know how to kill,
and teach their sons.
A girl walks on diamonds,
but has no shoes.
2 sisters from a trunk
are drenched in sweat-
their brother sells gum
and waits for his turn.

The day the towers fell continues