Two thousand one, nine eleven
Five thousand plus arrive in heaven
As they pass through the gate,
Thousands more appear in wait
A bearded man with stovepipe hat
Steps forward saying, "Lets sit, lets chat"
They settle down in seats of clouds
A man named Martin shouts out proud
"I have a dream!" and once he did
The Newcomer said, "Your dream still lives."
Groups of soldiers in blue and gray
Others in khaki, and green then say
"We're from Bull Run, Yorktown, the Maine"
The Newcomer said, "You died not in vain."
From a man on sticks one could hear
"The only thing we have to fear.
The Newcomer said, "We know the rest,
trust us sir, we've passed that test."
"Courage doesn't hide in caves
You can't bury freedom, in a grave,"
The Newcomers had heard this voice before
A distinct Yankees twang from Hyannisport shores
A silence fell within the mist
Somehow the Newcomer knew that this
Meant time had come for her to say
What was in the hearts of the five thousand plus that day
"Back on Earth, we wrote reports,
Watched our children play in sports
Worked our gardens, sang our songs
Went to church and clipped coupons
We smiled, we laughed, we cried, we fought
Unlike you, great we're not"
The tall man in the stovepipe hat
Stood and said, "don't talk like that!
Look at your country, look and see
You died for freedom, just like me"
Then, before them all appeared a scene
Of rubbled streets and twisted beams
Death, destruction, smoke and dust
And people working just 'cause they must
Hauling ash, lifting stones,
Knee deep in hell, but not alone
"Look! Blackman, Whiteman, Brownman, Yellowman
Side by side helping their fellow man!"
So said Martin, as he watched the scene
"Even from nightmares, can be born a dream."
Down below three firemen raised
The colors high into ashen haze
The soldiers above had seen it before
On Iwo Jima back in '44
The man on sticks studied everything closely
Then shared his perceptions on what he saw mostly
"I see pain, I see tears,
I see sorrow - but I don't see fear."
"You left behind husbands and wives
Daughters and sons and so many lives
are suffering now because of this wrong
But look very closely. You're not really gone.
All of those people, even those who've never met you
All of their lives, they'll never forget you
Don't you see what has happened?
Don't you see what you've done?
You've brought them together, together as one.
With that the man in the stovepipe hat said
"Take my hand," and from there he led
five thousand plus heroes, Newcomers to heaven
On this day, two thousand one, nine eleven
UNKNOWN AUTHOR
TWO THOUSAND ONE, NINE ELEVEN
THE MEN
HEROES AMONG US
There are heroes among us, we see them each day
Their battle is crime, placing themselves in harm's way
Our streets are much safer for the battles they fight
The laws they uphold with courage and might
There are heroes among us, we see them each day
Their battle is fire, placing themselves in harm's way
Our homes are much safer for the battles they fight
The flames are no match for their courage and might
There are heroes among us, we see them each day
Their battle is freedom, placing themselves in harm's way
Our country is safer for the battles they fight
They strike down the enemy with courage and might
There are heroes among us, we see them each day
They battle to heal us when we get in harm's way
Our lives are much better for the battles they fight
They come to our aid with courage and might
Such heroes among us, they help us each day
They help fight our battles in so many ways
Let's pray for their safety in the battles they fight
And honor these heroes of courage and might
G. Loiacono
My New World
By
Kevin Grady
Grade 4
Ridge Ranch School
Paramus, NJ
IF I KNEW
If I knew it would be the last time
That I'd see you fall asleep,
I would tuck you in more tightly
and pray the Lord, your soul to keep.
If I knew it would be the last time
that I see you walk out the door,
I would give you a hug and kiss
and call you back for one more.
If I knew it would be the last time
I'd hear your voice lifted up in praise,
I would video tape each action and word,
so I could play them back day after day.
If I knew it would be the last time,
I could spare an extra minute
to stop and say "I love you,"
instead of assuming you would KNOW I do.
If I knew it would be the last time
I would be there to share your day,
Well I'm sure you'll have so many more,
so I can let just this one slip away.
For surely there's always tomorrow
to make up for an oversight,
and we always get a second chance
to make everything just right.
There will always be another day
to say "I love you,"
And certainly there's another chance
to say our "Anything I can do?"
But just in case I might be wrong,
and today is all I get,
I'd like to say how much I love you
and I hope we never forget.
Tomorrow is not promised to anyone,
young or old alike,
And today may be the last chance
you get to hold your loved one tight.
So if you're waiting for tomorrow,
why not do it today?
For if tomorrow never comes,
you'll surely regret the day,
That you didn't take that extra time
for a smile, a hug, or a kiss
and you were too busy to grant someone,
what turned out to be their one last wish.
So hold your loved ones close today,
and whisper in their ear,
Tell them how much you love them
and that you'll always hold them dear
Take time to say "I'm sorry,"
"Please forgive me," "Thank you," or "It's okay."
And if tomorrow never comes,
you'll have no regrets about today.
In Remembrance
A flag of honor, a flag for reflection
It stands for us all uniting this nation
It will keep in our minds this tragic day
Memories of such heroic acts shall not go away
As we look on this flag of cloth and thread
A field of bright red for the blood that was shed
Not just on this day of lasting memories
But for lives that were given throughout history
Two towers of strength that rose up so high
Reaching for dreams, they stretched to the sky
They lay now in ruin at the hands of hate
Great symbols of our nation have met this fate
Our nation's military housed in a fortress of steel
We're reminded this day that war is so real
Hitting the heart of our power and might
Rise up America, this terror we must fight
Stars that shine on a field of bright blue
Remind us of heroes with hearts so true
An ordinary day, it had started out to be
Soon their lives would be given for you and me
A circle is drawn to stand for our nation's unity
A nation coming together through such tragedy
A reminder is given for all of America to see
That our freedom is never really free
"God Bless America" is written in white
Make this your prayer each and every night
God is always with us, He knows our needs
Bring America back to God, should be our decree
Much was given, many were lost on this day
A man of terror tried to take our spirit away
Do not let our new found spirit and unity fade
As you look on this flag, remember this day
9-11-01
Written by Tom Robinson
What Happened?
What happened that September day
We all struggle to understand
With grief and anguish in our hearts
Our country must take a stand
Soon the stars and stripes appear
On every home and car
A symbol of our strength and hope
As we prepare in war
As the flags grow scarce
We search far and wide
The need for "Old Glory"
To reflect our pride...
...Time goes on, six months have passed
The wounds still fresh for many
The families of September 11th
Seek normalcy, if any
But wait, what's this, the stars and stripes
That once flew far and wide
Have been replaced with springtime themes
Have we forgotten about our pride?
I wonder what the families think
Old Glory now worn and tattered
As they pass those familiar homes and cars
The flag, once all that mattered
I can't help but think about our nation
When I see our flag so frayed
How soon we all forget the pain
Of that tragic September Day
So let's think about those special heroes
Who lost their lives that day
And honor them with fitting flags
And for the families...Pray
by
Gwendolyn Wells Loiacono
37 Cops in Blue, 37 Not One Knew
37 cops in blue,
37 not one knew,
What was to be on that September day,
They had no clue they'd be heroes today.
Many at work as they planned to be,
Others in meetings, some were home free.
But when those fateful acts took place,
They left their posts, to the scene did race.
They had the courage, the strength did come,
To go where others were racing from.
In the lobby, up the stairs,
Concern for others calmed their fears.
Leading thousands to safety that day,
Climbing stairs to show them the way.
One of them, his coat did give,
To protect others that they might live.
Some in the lobby shot out the glass,
So that hundreds of others could safely pass.
A group of them to safety were near,
Carrying a woman in her rescue chair.
Another hero who gave his best,
He did not stop trying, he did not rest.
Into the horrors he bravely went,
His badge is now held by our President.
Some made it out, escorting the hurt,
And went back in, despite flames and dirt.
Their beloved home, the Towers tall,
They'd never dream that they would fall.
Many rescues untold will remain,
But rest assured, they did not die in vain.
They died doing what they loved to do,
They did it because "it's the right thing to do".
Remember, too, the living in pain,
Who are broken hearted and won't be the same.
They did all they could for both partner and friend,
But their sorrow and memories will never end.
Although overlooked, PAPD stands tall.
We know that they valiantly answered the call.
We'll always remember they were second to none,
As they bravely responded to their last 9-1-1.
Dedicated to my brother-in-law, Anthony Infante and all PAPD heroes
Joan Kormash c 2002
United we stand with our freedoms,
so strong and proud are we.
absent hearted were those who
attacked us on that heartbreaking
September day.
though they took away our
loved ones
our American spirit lives on
with determination, justice
and peace.
we stand strong and proud,
yes, we stand strong and proud!
Thomas D. Phillips IV
St. Joseph Montessori School
Grade 3
Age 8