I'll never forget.
When the first tower was hit
I was on the street,
My street in Brooklyn,
Watching workmen gaze skyward
(But just one or two)
Got on the subway
oblivious to the drama
just two stops away
A woman got on
sat down and started to cry,
"People were jumping..."
Knew something was wrong
When a suit and a workman
Were talking as peers ...
At Grand Central Sta.
I got off with the woman
to find her her train --
Me, concerned for her;
She, close to hysterical;
then I go to work
We look out windows
And try to call our loved ones
a few blocks away
Finally reach Husband,
then I walk to his office
just across midtown
As I cross Fifth Ave.
All stand still and look downtown --
And a tower falls.
Fireman Vinnie Kane,
a friend of a friend of mine,
may you rest in peace.
When the first tower was hit
I was on the street,
My street in Brooklyn,
Watching workmen gaze skyward
(But just one or two)
Got on the subway
oblivious to the drama
just two stops away
A woman got on
sat down and started to cry,
"People were jumping..."
Knew something was wrong
When a suit and a workman
Were talking as peers ...
At Grand Central Sta.
I got off with the woman
to find her her train --
Me, concerned for her;
She, close to hysterical;
then I go to work
We look out windows
And try to call our loved ones
a few blocks away
Finally reach Husband,
then I walk to his office
just across midtown
As I cross Fifth Ave.
All stand still and look downtown --
And a tower falls.
Fireman Vinnie Kane,
a friend of a friend of mine,
may you rest in peace.
I wasn't sure 9/11 would lend itself to haiku, nor did I know what I was going to haiku about until I realized Friday's date. It was a sad day to live in New York City. And freaky to realize that I was on one of the subway lines that went right under the Twin Towers, about an hour before the towers fell.
I was so afraid my friend Nancy was in the towers. She lived downtown and I couldn't reach her until the next day. She has a story of her own of that day, and of the aftermath, but I am grateful she was OK.
There's some controversy this year about whether or not every network needs to carry the reading of every name. I think an effort should be made to make sure at least one major network carries the reading of the names each year, but otherwise it is up to those of us who know the names and remember the day and the people to make sure their sacrifice is not forgotten.
Would you like to haiku today? To participate in Haiku Friday, just follow these steps:
1. Write your own haiku on your blog. You can do one or many, all following a theme or just random. It or they can be part or all of your post, but your post must include a haiku. What's a haiku, you ask? Hint: 5-7-5. More info: Click here. Or here.
2. Sign the Mister Linky below with your name and the link to your haiku post (the specific post URL, not your main blog URL). DON'T sign unless you have a haiku this week. If you need help with this, please let me know.
3. Please leave a comment after linking, thanks! (Eventually the Mr Linky links go away, I think, so they only way we'll find you in the future is via your comment.)
4. Pick up a Haiku Friday button to display on the post or in your sidebar by clicking the button at the top of this post.
REMEMBER: Do not post your link unless you have a haiku this week! I will carry on the esteemed tradition of deleting any links without haiku!
5 comments:
I worked in the city at the time too. But you wanna hear something freaky - like, "twilight zone" freaky? My alarm clock failed that morning. I was late. I sprang out of bed and rushed to the train station (I lived in Oakdale Long Island at the time). By time my train was crawling through Jamaica, the towers had been struck. We all got off the train, and I caught the last one going east again. That clock never failed before or since.
Where was I bound? 23 Wall Street - just a couple of blocks from Ground Zero.
Tink *~*~*
The spirit of generosity on Sanibel Island
Those haiku gave me chills. Thank you for sharing.
Poignant remembrances in your lovely Haiku on this sad anniversary. I was 'chatting' online with my nephew (who was living in Japan at the time) w/o the television on ... he told me about the first tower and I turned on the TV just as the second tower was struck ... then sat spellbound in shock and disbelief most of the day until a friend called in the afternoon ... realized I was stuck and and made me turn off the television while we were talking. I can only imagine what it must have been like for those of you who LIVE in the city. Our perceptions of the world shifted that day for sure. My Haiku Friday Sky Watch is at Happily Retired Gal this week.
Hugs and blessings,
Beautiful and chilling. Thank you.
lovely. thanks for telling me where to find haiku friday now (and your blog!)
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