NEW YORK CITY SEPT 11, 2001 poem

New York City Sept 11, 2001

It’s time for work, traffic heavy this AM.
Burp of cereal a signal of what’s to come?

Elevator’s crowded, coffee hot and
Sally is pregnant, Big Apple’s
North Tower accepts another day

work pile awaits, sun-bright Tower Two
shimmers in glorious splendour.

Then the unthinkable, from the street
an imposing view, something
causes an explosion. A bomb? A plane?

Strumming feet are hasty on the stairwells
rushing down and down, not knowing
why, just moving quickly to safety

all the time captive victims face flames
upon top floors, aware of
the crackle of approaching death

cell-phones cry love to distant homes
families listen in terror, sad conversations
memories of precious voices, and
then silence, smoke, faces raised in awe.

A pair of shoes made it to ground zero
escape not complete without its passenger.

© 2003 Richard L. Provencher
All Rights Reserved

first published Online 2003 “In Remembrance”
Best site 2002 and 2003 for 9-11 memories.