Tag: remember

on that day

on that day
we just wanted to go home
to be safe in familiar surroundings
and in the company of faces
that were a part of our story
we wanted to kiss our sons and daughters
hold our mothers and fathers
see their eyes
and feel safe

while so many spent that day
longing
searching
crushed
by the increasing pressure
and certainty
that a father was gone
a mom may never be found
a daughter ran in to rescue others
and never returned
a son couldn’t get out
a group of strangers
valiantly fought for life

there were some gifts
in the shadows
light breaking through
the smoke and flames

we saw each other

we beheld the beauty
and treasure of…. us
we became human
we remembered our humanity
in a way
that brought us face to face
with our frailty and brevity
and in that moment
we turned to love
and some of us
turned to God
to curse Him
or to seek His face
and pray
Kyrie eleison
Christe eleison

we knew
for a few brief moments
that we are here to love
we knew that
we are here to comfort one another
hold each another
see each other

now we scroll
now we post
we can be so unkind
to anyone
who is different
or disagrees with us
and the greater sin and distortion
is that we justify our rudeness
feel pride in our dismissiveness
are gleeful when we hit enter
and inform the world
of wherever truth
we think they need to hear
it seems we have forgotten
our humanity

after 25 years
maybe the best way
to remember
is to never forget
that we were created
by a loving God
that we don’t have
as much time
as we think
that we are all human
that we all need love
and need to love
to remember that
our tribe
our party
our cause
might be turning us against
our best self
and each other

maybe the best way to remember
is for the next 25 years
we take time to lean in to our frailty
to reflect on the brevity of this life
to seek God
to love our neighbor
to be human

Jesus replied, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ – Matthew 22:37-40

911

bright morning
crystal skies
catch the train
breakfast
on the run
markets open
late for work
elevator rising
immovable tower
the world
at your feet
traffic 
another day

bright morning
fire in the sky
darkness
disbelief
disorientation
confusion
from the
earthquake
in your heart
falling
everthing
inside you
around you
is falling
no other day
is this day

bright morning
red light
blue light
heroes
rise through the fire
running climbing
fearless angels
fight through
the fog of hate
that fills the sky
the streets
are drowning
in fear
in tears
in a ticker paper parade
of madness
souls rain down
oh
my
God

bright morning
when all
our souls
were crushed
under the weight
of all that fell
that day
where is mom
is my sister there
my friend
have you seen him
my brother
was with my dad
my son
she was just
a little girl
God
oh God
please God
no

bright morning
names etched
in our hearts
carved in the stone
remember
pray
forgive
God
heal us
help us
to be free
the pain
is still here

God
you're here too
so please
let a bright morning
rise in me
help me see
you are my hope
your love
is here
open my heart
let Light
make a
bright morning
in me

pause… reflect… remember

 

9/11