Smoke
People have so many memories of that day
Of sadness and pain
Of national pride and anger
Of unity and fear
What I still see
In the depths of my mind
Is smoke
First it was in New York
On that horrific day
Black, billowing clouds blocking the sky
Making the daytime look like night
People running, screaming, asking why
The only answer a nonstop drone of sirens
Washington was next
The alabaster building unrecognizable in the midst of the ashy clouds
The fear was overwhelming
Why was this happening?
Is this the end?
Where will they be next?
Smoke rose in Pennsylvania that morning too
The wreckage of the plane a fiery mess
It was the only choice they had
To save the lives of others
Even at the expense of their own
For a while
There was a lack of smoke in the skies above my home
The white trails that always painted those skies were absent
The droning of the planes missing
Too afraid of another disaster
And afterwards
The smoke lingered over this great country
A blanket to hide the wounds and anger of our people
It took a long while for it to clear
Maybe it still hasn’t
Maybe it never will
But that smoke
Despite its foul odor
Has made us stronger than we could ever imagine