They’ll gather there, amid hushed sound,
To softly tread the hallowed ground
Where loved ones lost have not been found;
A sad day to remember.
Some families will go before,
Their beings painful to the core,
Knowing full well what lies in store;
Too much for this September.
Others will want a formal show,
To hear a speech, a pipe band blow,
A sign so that the world will know
Our task has not been finished.
We’ll all recall, in our own way,
The terror that September day,
Far worse than simple words convey;
The anger not diminished.
Survivors will place roses there,
Symbols of love with thorns that tear
At hearts of those who still despair;
Their grief a glowing ember.
They’ll mourn in Washington, DC
And Pennsylvania, where they’ll see
The ragged earth, and vow that we
Will, all our lives, remember.
F.A. Zedik
09-01-02