Written Six Days After 9/11

It began like any Tuesday for ten thousand precious souls,

With a quick good-bye to loved ones, as they faced their daily goals.

Some boarded planes, while others rode the elevators high,

And each one had a special view of that early morning sky.

But they had no indication that this day would ever be

Much different than the others, and none of them could see

How a simple Tuesday morning could be any other way ~

For a nation rose believing it was just another day.

It wasn't that we felt immune, but our nation seemed secure;

Who among us woke believing that such evil could occur?

We'd seen the awful face of war, we knew its gravity,

But how could we prepare our hearts for such depravity?

We weren't naive, but we believed, in spite of quarrels and strife,

That every nation not at war still valued human life.

Before that terrifying day how could we realize

That hearts devoid of conscience could abominate our skies?

We learned a costly lesson on that Day of Devastation,

When evil stepped inside a plane and commandeered a nation.

We watched, aghast, in disbelief ~ could these events be real?

But we saw the fires raging, we beheld the melting steel.

We learned our nation's Capitol was vulnerable that day;

We learned our mighty Pentagon was even easy prey.

Would we safe within our land?  How could we even know,

If even military's high command was dealt this mighty blow?

The questions go unanswered as they're asked across our land ~

Perhaps it's just too soon to even hope to understand.

But, as the rain falls on Manhattan, and our nation weeps its tears,

A half-forgotten old refrain falls on our nation's ears.

It began as just a whisper, then it spread from shore to shore,

Just an old refrain, not fashionable to sing much any more.

Yet the simple words were echoed from the East Coast to the West,

Sung by simple working men and by businessmen well-dressed.

Across the oceans of the world the precious words were heard,

As our nation taught its children every line and every word.

As our nation's leaders led us while we sang that old refrain,

We cried, "God Bless America," in voices etched with pain.

And as we rise up from the ashes on an eagle's broken wings,

The world has stopped to listen as a battered nations sings.

And the world will be our witness, as they watch us from abroad,

That when terror struck this nation...we turned our hearts to God.

Linda Moser Winebrenner

17 September 2001

Written six days after 9/11, then I was honored

to have it published in the "Clay Today", our local paper