N.Y. MemorieS
By now, exhaustion has settled over the workers like a mantle of snow over a forgotten garden.
It’s been an emotionally wrenching job as well as a long , long one for many of them. Most are working 12 hour shifts which have just recently been reduced from 16 or even 18 hours.
Standing on Ground Zero, the Twin Towers are so devastatingly conspicuous by their absence. Your soul just wants to cry out when you witness it….and yet the workers must concentrate on the task at hand; they have to gain mastery over their thoughts with this haunting vision of mangled steel, ruin and smoke before their eyes.
Many seem to be carefully arranging their facial features to hide their emotions as they stand before this dilapidated edifice. Some look at me and wear a sweet, unconcerned smile, which never belies the turbulence in their hearts.
The deteriorated buildings stand before me, crying out so plaintively for repairs. A foul odor permeates the air, the smell of despair. A rotting skeleton is all that remains. The area is filled with refuse: the tragic, decaying remnants of broken dreams. Are these the daily companions of the workers…..shattered hopes of another happier era?
Sometimes I close my eyes for a brief moment…..but when I open
them….the Towers are still not there. Is this site which looks like such a downfall ever to be resurrected?
The men and women search for shelter on breaks , some seeking to find an outlet for their churning emotions, some so exhausted that they can barely, absently deposit their coat before collapsing on the ground to steal a few minutes of the most precious commodity there: Sleep.
Some want only a moment of sanctuary , just as an injured beast seeks its lair.
Others seem to be trying ineffectually to disentangle themselves from the “Pit’s” powerful and punishing presence.
Most appear to have a confident air and their ego’s balk at entertaining the possibility of yet another Terrorist attack, but some admit the doubts which nibble away at their convictions.
On the walkways and all throughout Ground Zero, the simple lessons of Nature seem to be offering inspiration.
Roses and bouquets are growing in the temporary gardens and memorials set up for the fallen. Lovingly planted or arranged by families and friends and well-wishers,
the flowers continue to thrive, completely indifferent to their haunting surrounding.
It’s difficult not to be enthralled by the beautifully lit
Christmas tree and Menorah reminding us that Faith and dreams can sweep darkness away…….in an instant.
As I stood near the “Pile”, though I have prayed many times in my
Life, never before have I been so frantic that Heaven should listen.
By: Angel
December 2001
September 8th, 2006 at 6:42 pm
Very moving Angel.
We will never forget.
September 8th, 2006 at 6:44 pm
Thanks ML..and thanks for the visit. Have a blessed weekend.
September 8th, 2006 at 6:46 pm
Very powerful, Angel. I have tears in my eyes from reading it.
September 8th, 2006 at 7:13 pm
Angel,
I took my daughter to NYC last year. She was trully amazed with the pace and pulse of the Big Apple.
But as we stepped off the subway and made our way towards ‘ground zero’ our hearts grew heavy. I tried to fight back the tears…to no avail.
Never forget. Ever.
September 8th, 2006 at 7:34 pm
New York City is one place I’ve never been to, Angel, but I feel the loss just the same. The skyline looks barren without the twin towers, like the city has been raped… and it has.
It’s a very touching post, Angel, and would have been even if I hadn’t just finished wathcing United 93. Even without the 9/11 Blogburst that we are doing, even without watching United 93, even without reading this post and many others, I remember it like it was yesterday. I saw it as it happened on television, and I can’t forget it even if I wanted to, which I don’t.
Bless you, hon.
September 8th, 2006 at 8:49 pm
A moment in disaster can change your life for ever, and you seem to have kept it under control with much inner strength. Much like the workers had to face as they combed through the rubble carefully looking for clues of the once living, knowing there was a loved one crying out for any news of the missing. Thank you, on behalf of all of us that are separated by geography, for having the courage to do your part in making the world a better place.
September 9th, 2006 at 12:53 am
September 11 Tribute…
As part of the 2996 Project, we the readers and authors of Gulf Coast Hurricane Tracker honor John J. Tobin and all those who were so cruelly taken from us on that fateful day. May the grace of Almighty God be bestowed on his soul and may his family …..
September 9th, 2006 at 1:33 am
Thank you , Angel.
Flags of Remembrance (one for each of the slain) will be flown at the Strategic Air and Space Museum near Omaha, NE through the 12th.
I hope to take the family out there.
Omaha will add twin shafts of light to its skyline
as a tribute to the attack of 9/11.
We will remember.
The fallen, the heroes, the killers.
We will remember.
By blog, ballot, border, and bullet,
we will do our all, that
September 11th may be the last
great attack on our shores.
September 9th, 2006 at 1:41 am
Thanks Angel.
September 9th, 2006 at 6:26 am
911 - Redemtion…
Tragic, the loss of life and the pain of those left without the love and companionship of family and friends murdered needlessly on September 11th, 2001. I remember where I was on that day, driving to Fort Lauderdale with my wife to pick up her m ……..
September 9th, 2006 at 4:25 pm
Very nice.
I have been to New York a number of times — I once lived about an hour or two north of it. I cannot imagine what it feels like to look out and NOT see something that had been there for so long.
September 9th, 2006 at 6:51 pm
Very powerful, Angel!
My husband and I visited Ground Zero in 2003 and could hardly tear ourselves away. We were particularly moved by the exhibits in the nearby church. And we aren’t New Yorkers nor have we ever lived there–only visited briefly a few times.
But of course, on that day all of America was attacked, so the site(s) should have intense meaning for all true Americans.
I’ll never get out of my mind’s eye all the televised coverage on that day. Over and over, I watched the towers fall, and over and over, I cried out, “This can’t be real!” But it was.
I will never forget.
September 9th, 2006 at 6:52 pm
One more thing….Take time to read Beak’s posting @
http://thebeakspeaks.blogspot.com/2006/09/time-doesnt-heal-all-wounds.html
September 9th, 2006 at 9:23 pm
I was there on that day and in 93. I can not describe the burning foul odor that lingered in the air. It was the odor of flaming death and pure evil. My Uncle was a Holocaust survivor and spoke of this odor. I always thought it was an exageration, but after 9-11 I understood. No doubt many of you will think I am guilty of poetic license. I pray that none of you ever smell that odor.
September 9th, 2006 at 10:24 pm
2996 tribute to victims of 9/11 - Terrence E Adder…
Before 9/11 the only view I had of the New York City skyline was from the top floor of my home in New Jersey. On any day I could look out the window and see the upper 30 floors of the World Trade Center.
When both buildings disappeared from view t…..
September 9th, 2006 at 10:36 pm
Angel, that was absolutely one of the finest pieces of writing I’ve ever seen.
“…Faith and dreams can sweep darkness away…….in an instant.” Amen, and Amen!!!
September 9th, 2006 at 11:09 pm
thank you for this amazing account.
very painful…
the memory still brings such sadness…
the subject remains heartbreaking.
September 9th, 2006 at 11:14 pm
In loving memory of a Mother…
“Mom’s is what I called you and always were…”…
September 10th, 2006 at 12:30 am
COURAGE WITHOUT FEROCITY……STRENGTH WITHOUT INSOLENCE…
AND ALL THE VIRTUES OF MAN …..WITHOUT HIS VICES
They’ll be a lot of tributes going on this week. Here’s part of stiks.
“If these dogs only knew what a difference they make. Certainly, there’s nothing that can replace …
September 10th, 2006 at 1:04 am
Thank each and EVERY one of you for your warmth and support. Truly.
September 10th, 2006 at 3:09 am
It is really lovely, Angel. Real, sensitive and without flamboyance. Nice.
I am a loyal, country loving American. I do all I can to be staunch, stoic and realistic. Yet every anniversary since we were attacked, I am startled by how deeply the rage and sadness affect me. I shake, cry and inevitably get overwhelmed with anger for the murderers of our innocent people. In fact, any references to 9-11 have that effect on me anytime of the year. It is just the most painful and weakening on that date.
We have to purge this cancer.
September 10th, 2006 at 4:50 am
My 9/11 Experience…
Reposted from March 6, 2006 Anyone who has visited my blog knows that the main issue here is terrorism. I’ve been a news junkie for about ten years now, but terrorism is the singular issue that drives me to spend…
September 10th, 2006 at 7:14 am
September 11: Five Years Yet Remembered…
Remembering September is not such a hard thing to do anymore, and especially this year. Five years after the attacks killing thousands in New York, Washington DC, and Pennsylvania, most of us remember why we are fighting……
September 10th, 2006 at 7:23 am
Beautifully written, Angel. I hope we do remember why we are fighting.
September 10th, 2006 at 9:52 am
WHAT A BEAUTIFUL “PEACE” OF WRITING ANGEL…HOPEFULLY ALL THOSE PEOPLE WILL NOT HAVE DIED IN VAIN..AND SOMETHING BETTER WILL COME INTO THE WORLD BECAUSE OF THEIR SACRIFICE…
GOD BLESS….
September 10th, 2006 at 11:09 am
Beautifully worded, Angel. Your words are quite moving and soulful.
September 10th, 2006 at 11:23 am
Thank you, Angel, for this powerful evocation of the presence of a very large absence…
September 10th, 2006 at 1:51 pm
Stunning, Angel dear. I visited Ground Zero in November 2001. Your description made me taste and smell that acrid air again.
I can imagine how hard that was for you to write. Thank you so much for sharing.
September 10th, 2006 at 2:56 pm
So haunting, Angel. Thank you for sharing this glimpse through your eyes.
September 10th, 2006 at 3:13 pm
Once Upon A Time…
……
September 10th, 2006 at 4:53 pm
Again sweet sweet friends..Thank y’all for helping me get through this time.
September 10th, 2006 at 5:53 pm
In Memory of Christopher M. Colastani…
I remember sitting at my desk the morning of September 11, 2001. It was such a nice day. Clear autumn skies, the sun shining brightly through the windows. I had been at work for about a half an hour when the customer calls suddenly stopped……
September 10th, 2006 at 6:19 pm
Remembering John P O’ Neill…
Part of the 2,996 tribute. List of participants. John P O’ Neill was born on February 6, 1952, in Atlantic City, NewJersey. At an early age, he professed a desire to become an FBI agent. Staying true to his dream,…
September 10th, 2006 at 6:47 pm
Dear Angel,
The intensity, honesty and clarity of your response to the 9/11 tragedy, then still unfolding, helps bring the urgency of its many lessons back to where they belong - and must remain - at the very centre of our collective awareness.
Thank you!
David Aronin
September 11th, 2006 at 9:32 am
The deliberate taking of innocent life on 9/11 is beyond fathoming in the context that most of us live our lives. That such devastation be reduced to mere political advantage by some merely desecrates those who died.
There is a need for a political response to this tradegy, and that is to support those in the political world who realize the implications of such an event and that the world has changed and so must we.
This must be a never forgotten lesson that there is evil in the world - evil that seeks our destruction - evil that is part of a cultural mindset and that multicultuuralism and political correctness facilitate such evil ways.
September 11th, 2006 at 2:16 pm
The 9/11 Sky…
I will never forget that day and what this Global War on Terrorism is all about: Islamofascists who hate our freedoms so much, and so wish to impose their New Caliphate upon the world, that they target people just like you and me, my family and yours….