ORIGINAL

9/11, a day we will remember It changed our lives in the middle of September.

Four planes in the East Coast sky Toward three targets began to fly

New York City, 8:45 No one knew what was about to arrive.

Two planes flew with accuracy, grim At the tallest two buildings, twin.

A little bit later, a plane barreled down On the Pentagon, turning the world around

Up in Pennsylvania, smoking in a field The fourth flight lay, heads reeled

Silently staring at the screen Knowing we would never forget what we had seen

We hoped, we prayed, we cried For those for who had lived, for those who died

Their intent was to destroy, maim, and kill, But most of all, to break the American will

But was our will broken? Not in the slightest In our darkest moments, our spirits shine the brightest

Ground Zero still stands, the Pentagon remade But we will never forget what happened that day.

After this day, I hope we remember What happened back in the middle of September.

REVISITED

9/11, a day we will remember It changed our lives in the middle of September

We will never forget what happened that day But now, years later, what can we say?

19 men put the plan into action which was concocted by a tiny, extremist faction

Their plan? Invoke terror. But earlier I  said that we were too good to let it into our heads.

But let it we did, though we hate to admit. Fear gets more potent the longer it sits.

Although a small group creates the aggression, we now call a whole faith into question

People want to deny immigrants on sight Even when they run from what we are trying to fight

Our fear makes us cheer for the building of walls Vitriol, for many, becomes a siren’s call

And we are not alone in our fear and our pain. The whole world is shaking from those who were slain

France fears those who cover their faces, and Brexit tried to stop movement from all other places

But violence is not caused by wearing a burqa, and Brexit anti-immigration just won’t work

These are a few of our knee-jerk decisions Why do we make these unworkable provisions?

Because when dogma and stigma are how we proceed, Bigotry and hatred becomes our creed.

immigrants and refugees want many different things Work, a new, life, escape from corrupt kings

But our fear and indecision ruins their lives And all we complain about is longer airport lines

I don’t have solutions. I’d never pretend to. But there certainly must be something we can do.