The morning of September 11, 2001, I was on my way to Port Arthur Texas from Austin; I worked out of town every week back then. When I heard the horrific news on the radio, I called Sherry. We talked, and we cried; I asked her if she wanted me to turn around and come home, and she said, No, she’d be okay. Looking back, I wish I’d gone home. It was terrible being alone that day—that week. I wrote two poems the next morning; the following is one of them.
Please pay particular attention to the last stanza, keeping in mind this was written immediately after the attacks. Tell me, that for many in this country–I contend the majority–my words were not prophetic. Just sayin…
I sent the poem to friends and family, and these are the words I wrote preceding the poem:
Friends: I am overwhelmed these days–and nights–by a many-membered orchestra of emotions. Sadness and anger are the loudest voices, and confusion is somehow the conductor. I share some of my thoughts, fears, and hopes with you.
Will We Soon Forget
I still have trouble sleeping
I awake with visions of fireballs
In the tops of tall buildings
Then smoke clouds as they fall
I try to talk myself to sleep
In my mind I say the word peace
Hot tears burn my eyes
As I realize this is not a dream
Thousands mourn their losses
As our leaders plan counter attacks
Though we must fight, we know
War will not bring them back
I lay here in the dark of night
Knowing we must all go on
But I wonder to what we go
As this new day begins to dawn
One day at a time, is all I can think
It’s the only thing that makes sense
We are strong; we will go on
Though right now… it seems in pretense
My greatest fear is not the terror
Nor the evil men that rule the day
My fear is that we’ll too soon forget
And then continue on our wicked way
Copyright © C. Mashburn 2001
Sharing this with Gooseberry Garden’s Poetry Picnic, Week 25 and dVerse Poets’ Open Link Night, Week 30
Buy "Be Still" from WestbowPress.com
Marbles In My Pocket ~ The Official Blog of Charles L. Mashburn ~ Poems, Short Stories, and random thoughts from the author of "Be Still... and know that I am God" 
Sherry Mashburn said
If we haven’t forgotten, we have become immune/resigned to the evil that surrounds us even to this day.
charlesmashburn said
So sadly true.
ManicDdaily said
Hi Charles, a heavy poem on a heavy subject. I can see how it weighed and still weighs on you.
I live in NYC, as you may know, and was downtown on 9/11; my daughter had just started school at Stuyvesant High School which was about 3 or 4 blocks away from the World Trade Center; and we lived downtown as well, though further away. I was on the street and saw the second plane hit; then shortly after, ran down to her school looking for her.
It is so interesting for me to hear the perspectives of those who lived outside of New York who were also, of course, deeply affected.
If you are interested–and you may have seen it (or have had enough!)-here’s a villanelle I wrote about the day: http://manicddaily.wordpress.com/2009/09/11/911/
I think what was extremely hard in New York is that we lived and still live with a fair amount of fear. It’s a bit hard not to feel like a target. Back then, there was also just a huge amount of smoke and terrible burning smells for months downtown. And, of course, all the posters of the missing.
K.
charlesmashburn said
Yes, I read your villanelle and commented on it when you posted it last September. Very powerful, as is your story from that day. I can’t even imagine.
Thanks for the read and great comment.
siggiofmaine said
Thank you…intense and meaningful. Appreciate your sharing these words for us.
Peace,
Siggi in Downeast Maine
charlesmashburn said
Thanks, Siggi! I appreciate the visit and comment!
tinkwelborn said
unleashing of the dogs of war.
Here we are eleven years later….besieging still, an invisible enemy, creating new enemies and issues.
War is ALWAYS the very last resort….or, it should be.
charlesmashburn said
Unfortunately, Tink, it is hardly ever the last resort, and too often the first option.
Thanks for the visit and comment.
PhotoDiction said
Remembrance is important – it hammers home the lessons that we need to learn.
charlesmashburn said
I believe in letting go of the past, but I have my limits on some things. This is one I will never completely let go of.
Thanks for the visit and comment!
Deborah said
Sadly, I liked your poem.
Good words on the hardest of topics.
charlesmashburn said
Thank you, Deborah. It’s not a subject I prefer to talk about, or write about, but not one I want to ever forget either.
Thanks for the visit and comment.
Paula Tohline Calhoun said
Very reflective and effective, Charles. This was my two-part poem written on the 10th anniversary:
That day weighed heavy on all of us, and still does, I think, on many.
charlesmashburn said
It does weigh heavy on me, Paula. But more than that, the fact so many have seemingly forgotten, weighs on my heart.
Thank you for the visit and comment.
terri0729 said
Amen Charlie, I won’t ever let this one go either! Amid all the phone calls flying back and forth with family and friends, one person asked me, “what if they bomb close to here?” And I couldn’t figure out why she was thinking about that, out of control fear I guess. I asked why they would pick Lafayette IN to bomb and she said two things that I’ll never forget, “Terri, Chicago airport is not that far away and neither is Indy. Plus, Alcoa down the street supplies a majority of the aluminum for building airplanes.” It had not even occurred to me that we could be so close to that kind of terror attack in our little city. When I say “little city” I remember it as that but I guess we have grown quite a bit in the last 30 years 😦 God forbid it ever happen anywhere in the U.S. ever again, not just here!! Great poem Charlie, thanks for sharing it. Blessings, Terri
charlesmashburn said
I wondered the saame thing for years after the attacks, Terri. A lot of my work was near the ports and refineries near and around Houston and Port Arthur, Texas, and I have to admit, it was constantly on my mind. I still look up when I hear a loud jet overhead–especially if it seems out of place for where I am. I used to pass by the Austin airport a lot, and it just wasn’t the same after 9/11. Jets would often be landing right over my head, and it would really give me a strange, uneasy feeling. Yes, things have changed, and there are some things I’ll never look at the same again.
Thanks for the read and comment.
Snowflakes said
your words take us to a sad scene, powerful emotions and lovely imagery.
Thanks for adding grace to our place.
keep it up.
🙂
charlesmashburn said
Thank you for the visit and comment.
Die Reise meines Leben said
How to be grateful for what we have, how to remember the mistakes we have made and make things better. Excellent reflection piece!
charlesmashburn said
Thank you! I appreciate the visit and comment!
claudia said
there are some things in history including 9/11 we must never forget…and yet…so easily we do if we’re not reminded again and again…thanks for doing so charles..
charlesmashburn said
I appreciate the visit and comment, Claudia.
Daydreamertoo said
In the same way that not all Muslims are bad, not all Christian are good. Evil exist’s wherever there is hatred, and sadly, as Jesus once said: ‘Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” When ignorance and lack of any real education apart from steady day after day, year after year indoctrination of hatred is allowed to persist, when children aren’t taught any differently, how can they then behave differently.
I’m not an appeaser, served my own country, and had to endure all the mainland bombs by factions of the IRA, but, the sad thing is, although terrorism for any reason by anyone, black, white, Muslim, Christian, it cannot be allowed to win, but, how do you defeat a mindset, a mistaken ideology that was born from out of bloodshed that knows nothing other than what it knows to be right.
There is no answer, if the war in Iraq has taught anything, it is that the allied forces needed to be there for at least 20 years. To try to teach a whole new generations of children, to know that books and education is another way of life, instead they are so poor they gladly grab a gun and turn radical because it makes the misery of their lives worthwhile.
9 11 should never have happened. It was dreadful but, these terrorist’s aren’t done yet by any means. They are trying to spread their way of life around the whole globe, and, slowly, it’s happening, bit by bit they are gradually becoming politicians, and serving in governments all over the place. They say in 25 years the UK will be mostly run by a majority Muslim parliament. It’s happening, slowly but surely. We are a world at war, and this year is going to be pivotal (I feel) in where (and if) we go from here.
Having known friends who suffered at the hands of IRA bombs and the Grand Hotel in my own home town being bombed too, this is heart felt
charlesmashburn said
I hear you, daydreamer. I have spent much of this day viewing the conditions our world is in, and I am shocked at the chaos and confusion that abounds. And the sad thing is, this is nothing compared to what is to come.
brian miller said
def a day i will never forget…i was in the air…on my way to florida, put down in atlanta…they cut the tvs after the second hit…perhaps not to scare us…but then the 10000 people had to rely on bits of convo on those few cell phones that got through….
charlesmashburn said
Most will not forget where they were on that day. It was definitely a shock to our systems.
Laurie Kolp said
Oh my gosh, Charles. Do you live in Port Arthur? I’m in Beaumont!
I won’t ever forget that horrid day. My middle child was just two weeks old and I was glued to the TV.
http://lkkolp.wordpress.com/2012/02/07/granted-constitutional-rights/
charlesmashburn said
No, Laurie, I don’t live in Port Arthur. My wife grew up there and graduated from TJ in 1969.
I traveled there a lot when I worked for TPWD, and was working at Sea Rim State Park when 9/11 occured.
I was also working at Sea Rim when Ike destroyed it. My crew and I were almost finished a million dollar renovation of the park buildings when Ike came along. We had to evacuate three–or was it four–times that year for hurricanes.
Anyway, thanks for the visit and comment.
siubhan said
strong ending– “too soon forget/ and then continue on our wicked way.” thanks for sharing this message.
charlesmashburn said
Strong, but too often true.
Thanks for the read and comment.
Mary said
Charles, we sometimes need a reminder of that horrific event. Thank you for this poem…May we never forget!
charlesmashburn said
Yes, we do, Mary.
Thanks for the visit and comment.
Summer Rain said
I remember it as well,
that’s a horrible mooring, thanks for reminding us for it.
charlesmashburn said
Thank you very much for the visit and comment.
Cad said
But we will remember them…I’ve heard those words before…
charlesmashburn said
Yes we will.
Thank you for the visit and comment.
Aya Wilson said
once in a while, we are reminded sad events,
they consist of heart breaking moments, which make us cherish peaceful time more…
powerful imagery..
Happy Valentine’s Day!
🙂
charlesmashburn said
Yes, that’s true, Aya. Sometimes we must look at the past to know why we are where we are.
Thankss for the visit and nice comment.
dsnake1 said
Charles, i am moved by your powerful words. Though i live half a world away, the events of that day gripped us over here too. After that, the world was never the same again. It is wasteful that some of the resources that can be used for education, health or infrastructure are channeled to provide security and wage wars.
And yes, i have come to view a jetliner with different eyes. 😦
charlesmashburn said
And, it will never be the same again.
Thanks for the great comment!
A.B. Thomas said
A powerful write, though I think that the event is not forgotten or lessening in the minds of the American public, there has been a skewer put through the original emotions and thoughts to provide less than favorable results in the political vein
charlesmashburn said
All you say is true; the last part sad. Politics and greed.
Thanks for the visit and comment, A.B.!