PREFACE

Near the end of the film,  “Camelot,” when King Arthur is faced with the personal torture of losing two loves, his friend and wife, he recalls as a youth asking Merlin, "What do you do for being sad?"  Merlin responded, "Learn something;  you learn something."  I concur. 

In response to the tragedy of terrorism, Wahlert Creative Writing students “created something” —  this sequence of poems.  May  it be healing art.

          — Barbara Ressler, Teacher, Wahlert High School
 

 
911
an emergency
we couldn’t handle

-Maria Gianino
 
 

September 11, 2001
their final destination
in God’s hands

-Maria Gianino
 
 

Twin Tower One
their cries of terror
silenced by fire

- Samuel Weber
 
 

the World Trade Center
110 stories up
in seconds down

- Jessica Kouba
 
 

his leap
from the 91st floor
my eyes following

- Stephanie Sandt
 
 

buildings
crumble
their graves

-Maria Gianino
 
 

Twin Towers
mark the graves
of many

- Anna Hoppmann
 
 

“Above the fruited plain”
American skies
empty

- Lauren Weis
 
 

For Barbara Olson

birthday breakfast
with him
their last

- Carolyn Friedman
 
 

with the Pentagon
our security
falls

- Josh Beecher
 
 

his frantic message
“Please pick up
I’m saying goodbye”

- Sarah Anderson
 
 

9/11
his last call
silenced

- Kristy Schnee
 
 
 

For passengers on United Flight #93 which crashed in Pennsylvania
 
 

last words to his wife
“A group of us
are doing something”

- Ashley Roberts
 
 

hijacked plane
hero’s last words
of love

- Maria Gianino
 
 

in Palestine’s streets
people dancing
I weep

- James Richter
 
 

on the schoolroom blackboard
one word
“tragedy”

- James Richter
 
 

streaming
down his face
tears and soot

- Anna Hoppmann
 
 

pictures
showing thousands
missing

- Samuel Weber
 
 

searching for victims
becoming
one

- Joshua Deutmeyer
 
 

at the scene
the rescuers
buried

- Anna Hoppmann
 
 

underneath
the rubble
answers

- Maria Gianino
 
 

lost
thousands
of lives unfinished

- Maria Gianino
 
 

fallen buildings
Lady Liberty
stands

- Anna Hoppmann
 
 

our safety
in jeopardy
she holds her torch

- Ben Ressler
 
 

buildings fall
Americans
never so tall

- Ben Ressler
 
 

September 11th, 2001
our hearts
half mast

- Jessica Kouba
 
 

prayer service
‘for the victims’
my heart restored

- Ashley Roberts

It's early.  I hear commotion.  The day has barely started on the pacific coast when my oldest son enters the room with a crash.  "Mom, you'd better wake up.  They're attacking your country!"  At twenty-three, I think he's too old to panic.  Okay, who hurt themselves now?  My mind does not make the leap.  On every channel I see horror and destruction, yet something still
refuses to accept this as reality.  We are so safe here?

 
collapsing buildings -
falling . . . falling
leaves

Less than a week later I'm scheduled for surgery.  In the waiting room, watching the prayer service, Canadians mourn along with the Americans. After a minute of silence I still have my fears.  Then it's time to go . . .

 
three more minutes
of silence -
I pray
for those who won't
wake up

-  Alice Frampton, USA citizen living in Canada

trade towers collapse
over and over
in my mind
 
 

trade center attack
from the back of the class
the bully's "cool"

-  Randy Brooks, USA