911

[meicalabawen]

On September 11, 2001 a man and woman facing death by fire chose to join hands and walk their own path into eternity.

And we watched.

911
-------
Walk with me
Hand in hand
And we will choose
Our way to die

Step with me
Into thin air
And we will fall
And we will fly

...

I knew you not
Until just then
When side by side
We faced the fire

Then exchanged looks
And without words
Agreed that this
Was our last hour

And clasped our hands
And looked one last time
Upon the sky
Of our last day

And loved the air
With our two lives
And fell to earth
Our chosen way

[skydove]

Hi meicalabawen,
What a powerful heartfelt poem, I really liked it in it's simplicity, it brought the horror of the event down to understandable personal human levels. Until people can respond to the fact that its people like you and me that these horrors in the world are happening to it is easier to distance yourselves from them. A good wake up call, I also liked the fact that you resisted pointing the finger of blame in your poem.

[wyeuro]

very delicate. i like the way you bring such a fine focus to bear on this eloquent detail - hints of afterlife, yet nothing stated. a beautifully restrained poem.
i also like the simple, airy, detached verse-form.
wyverne /|\

[meicalabawen]

thank you both.

[Dendrias]

Hey, good work.

Is that something that actual happened (I mean, the clasping of hands image)? I researched and bumped into a text about one photograph of a falling man, parts of the text underneath it were almost lyrical:

Although he has not chosen his fate,
he appears to have,
in his last instants of life,
embraced it.

If he were not falling, he might very well be flying.
He appears relaxed,
hurtling through the air.
He appears comfortable
in the grip of unimaginable motion.
He does not appear intimidated
by gravity's divine suction

or by what awaits him.

[meicalabawen]

Yes, that happened. I haven't seen that footage since. Not sure why, except that the idea is so horrific that people just want it buried. And I understand that. But there's a certain dignity in what the people who jumped did, and a resolve that I respect.

[Dendrias]

And You've expressed that very well and full of dignity.