|
Internal Glitch (wtc)
by Julie Adams
in a moment, an instant
etc became wtc
on my computer screen—
how 3 letters startled me
delete, delete, delete
quick, try again
w t c
delete, delete, delete,
this time, third time’s no charm
Damn this glitch in me!
No switch I can flip
or hit to distract quick
my slip of the finger
alerts a restless dragon
with fiery destruction
on the tongue
my eyes close,
I try to pass, images
stream like fire, internal
live-feed footage
rippling panic remains
stains part of my day
over the bridge each morning,
or when train car lights go out
won’t forget that day, don’t even try
to recall how it felt
before it all
came crumbling down
some tourists point
where they once stood in the skyline,
perhaps on their way to the movie
I’m not ready to see
in vibrant chaos I recall
more than I care too,
still smoldering,
we did not escape unscathed
my fingers remind my absent-mind
spell it out, again and again,
this memory, this movie flickering—
too soon, too soon
08/08/2006 Author's Note: wtc - world trade center.
...not sure where this came from this morning, but all the WTC movie hype here lately has been playing on my subconscious it seems...
Posted on 08/08/2006
Copyright © 2024 Julie Adams
| Member Comments on this Poem |
| Posted by Charles M Harrison on 08/08/06 at 04:57 PM You have captured the feeling of an unwanted memory, of a day none should forget. There are times when a simple thing will also bring back to me memories of the events of that day. |
| Posted by Leslie Ann Eisenberg on 08/08/06 at 06:02 PM an effective poem, it certainly had a strong effect on me, and i believe it will resonate with many others...
my slip of the finger
alerts a restless dragon
with fiery destruction on the tongue --- -- quite a strong stanza, and throughout, great image, effective line breaks. i especially like the short lines, picks up the pace, sets the right tone for the raw emotions expressed.
with the 5 year anniversary looming, it is startling how a simple reminder can bring it all home again, the devastation, the searing loss, as if a certain majesty crumbled when those towers came down to a big black hole. the loss is too visceral, to great to even attempt to put into general terms, but you lay out your reaction so well. ONE person who lives in this great city and has that constant reminder. stains part of my day, the most telling. it is always there. as i read it, too soon could refer to the 9/11 movies out, and i certainly understand. in any case, it seems that it's too soon to forget, and that forgetting is not the goal. perhaps loss can woven into who we are, and is part of what makes us real. PK |
| Posted by Leslie Ann Eisenberg on 08/08/06 at 06:02 PM an effective poem, it certainly had a strong effect on me, and i believe it will resonate with many others...
my slip of the finger
alerts a restless dragon
with fiery destruction on the tongue --- -- quite a strong stanza, and throughout, great image, effective line breaks. i especially like the short lines, picks up the pace, sets the right tone for the raw emotions expressed.
with the 5 year anniversary looming, it is startling how a simple reminder can bring it all home again, the devastation, the searing loss, as if a certain majesty crumbled when those towers came down to a big black hole. the loss is too visceral, to great to even attempt to put into general terms, but you lay out your reaction so well. ONE person who lives in this great city and has that constant reminder. stains part of my day, the most telling. it is always there. as i read it, too soon could refer to the 9/11 movies out, and i certainly understand. in any case, it seems that it's too soon to forget, and that forgetting is not the goal. perhaps loss can woven into who we are, and is part of what makes us real. PK |
| Posted by Gregory O'Neill on 08/08/06 at 07:32 PM Hi Julie. Glad you took up this subject. Great idea. There are some new things I have NOT already read in countless nine-eleven poems. Great job here, as usual. Thanks. |
| Posted by Maria Terezia Ferencz on 08/08/06 at 09:07 PM I don't think any of us came away unscathed. I agree tho some things come too soon. I don't believe it was long enough ago to be given a reminder. Very well written. |
| Posted by Maureen Glaude on 08/08/06 at 10:46 PM that's eerie and fascinating. Sometimes our fingers have their own stubborn ideas, don't they? And it can be funny, but you found the irony here hauntingly. Well done. Printing it up. |
| Posted by Maureen Glaude on 08/08/06 at 10:47 PM nominated by me for POTD |
| Posted by Kristina Woodhill on 01/07/08 at 03:59 PM Congrats on POTD. No matter what form or approach to this subject, it is always a shocking reminder. Made very real with that "w" sitting right next to that "e" on the keyboard, setting up that finger slip for any moment in time. Well done. |
| Posted by Max Phineas on 01/08/08 at 12:32 AM I can identify so much with this poem. I hate how little effect the words "nine-eleven" have on so many people already. I live out on Long Island, and even so close you can hear the insensitivity. I still shudder and gulp when I think about it. This was a wonderful read. |
| Posted by Leslie Ann Eisenberg on 01/19/08 at 07:19 AM belated congrats on POTD! PK |
|
