I wrote this poem on 9/11, sometime that night. I had been on the telephone with my sister and she told me that her husband had commented on the need to connect that was inspiring Americans across the nation to reach out and embrace one another. He also observed how sad it was that the sense of unity wouldn't last, that far too many of us would soon return to divisive mistrust, to an antipathy towards the suffering of others, to a willingness to do violence against others, and to a selfish disregard of anyone's needs other than our own. I have shared this poem before but on this anniversary of that horrendous day, I want to share it again.
There Be Monsters
The images on the screen kick you in the guts,
...smoke and ash…smoke and ash...
Smoke rises from the oil,
onions, peppers, a little garlic
a woman in her kitchen
stirring, preparing
her eyes on the clock
always on the clock.
On the flickering screen, horror and hate,
smoke and ash...
She grips the spoon,
absorbs herself in tomatoes and basil,
listens for the footsteps, the metal on metal of key and lock.
"Did you hear...have you seen...all those people..."
her voice falls into the silence of expectation.
"A shame," he tells her, "a damn shame."
His words match her horror,
together watching smoke and ash...smoke and ash
But there is too much salt or too little,
too much basil or not enough,
always too much or too little.
She surrenders to the horror of the fist in the face,
wraps herself in smoke and ash
knowing that the monsters are always under the bed.
Sheria Reid
9/11
14 comments:
We stand with separate poses
seeing differences thru one lens
but for one day gaps closed
or was it just another pretend.
We choke on the ash and dust
standing tall through clouds of smoke
In only a short while we return
to our sad and separate yoke.
Hearts cried out in disbelief
the idea it could happen just a balk.
Some took it so seriously
others just said, "pass the salt".
My sentiments exactly. Good stuff
Spencer
It's hard to write about. But you found a way that is moving and not at all trite.
I loved this poem, I loved how you mixed a normal everyday event (cooking dinner) and a unbelievable event of horror. That is how life is, someone is always in pain while somewhere else can be in pleasure and life moves on all the same. ( at least that is what I took from it)
Ah, interesting twist at the end there, or is it really a twist. It IS always there someplace, and in those places, sometimes not so obvious.
I know those monster well........We seem to be like minded on this dear heart. I wrote something almost similiar with a twist to remind us of this day. At the end of the day we will be more aware of our own mortality. Life marches ever on, There Be Monsters.....indeed (Hugs) Indigo
That was a kick in the face... a shock... I think we all had that feeling you describe so poetically here. On top of that shock, I bear the slight anger that I didn't find out about any of it until around 11 a.m. I was at school, in my classroom that morning, as usual. I think it was a Monday or Tuesday? Another teacher had poked her head in the door and said "Don't turn on the tv at all!" I said okay, she offered no other explanation. I didn't ask why ( I was in the middle of a lesson, after all). No one said anything in the halls. All was kept hush-hush. I found out while standing in the lunch room. A friend was there with her granddaughter to eat lunch. She told me the Twin Towers had collapsed... a plane had crashed into them... I didn't hear anything else... I ran straight for the office. The TV was on. I stared in horror. I cried, my hands covering my face. By the time I saw it, there was nothing left but smoke in the sky. And all the replays. I couldn't eat lunch. I was stunned. Why had no one told me? Obviously, the kids didn't need to know, but why couldn't a note have been passed on to me? Lots of teachers, I found out later, had known since earlier in the day, but I did not. Felt quite out of the loop, I will say that much. Don't tell the kids, we were told. What about those who go home to empty house? They turn on TV... I felt I should give them some words of assurance before they went home, and I did. I told them that no matter what they saw when they turned on the tv, not to be afraid. I told them the news would be on all the channels, but not to worry. I gave them my phone number in case they wanted to call someone and didn't have anyone to call. No one called me that night. And school went on as usual the next day, but we did talk about what happened relative to what we knew and understood at that time. Your poem is touching with its images of shock and horror at home. Thanks for sharing it today. bea
http://journals.aol.com/bgilmore725/
A selfish disregard of anyone's needs other than our own. I understand that well. Long before 9 11, I was feeling that often at the Oncology practice I ran. People were dying around us & staff members were complaining about a lunch not being so good or a computer screen freezing. I see that now with parents that are quite elderly, & kids that go on a dementia walk with me, but don't take well enough care of the demented parent. Even now I hear people being superficially observant of 9-11 but still treating the people around them like crap. Excellent poem. ~Mary
Very beautiful poem!
Christopher
I think the scariest monster to be spawned from 9/11 is blind allegiance to our government. So many people who claim to be patriots are exactly the opposite.
:(
Russ
A poem to make us think. We will all remember that day, I think it all affected us in diffrent ways, but we were all bought together in a common grief around the world.
I prayed last night for all who died, I hadn't prayed since that day.
Gaz x
I thought this was a very interesting poem. I think there are many horrors that are endured. Terrorism by unseen enemies is one but the terror of a loved one is another, and maybe even harder to endure. You can understand the hatred of an unseen enemy, but the one that lives under your own roof is harder to take...
Marie
http://journals.aol.co.uk/mariealicejoan/MariesMuses/
Well written Sheria! I agree...shocking horrors of the world at large yet some people deal with their own horrors daily...soo sad! An excellent way of making horror more personal...realy heart-felt...
well written. very thought provoking the way you have paralleled the events of 9/11 to domestic violence. how sad and horrifying what so many of our fellowman suffer on a daily basis. may God have mercy on us.
gina
Hi Sheria ,, wow a very deep poem , 2 sides to it Loved it and It made me think, I live not to far from the wtc ten minutes away by train ,, I remmeber it like it was yesterday very sad day for everyone " God Bless" and a silent prayer for everyone everyday..
hugs You
Luv Jo
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