Home    

Nine Eleven - Shattered Wings

by Gregory R Schelske

Lift those shattered wings and fly
for yours’ are wings of angels.
And to you jagged ghosts who walk the crippled halls
beneath the twisted sky-
may you find yourselves at God's own table.
Heaven called and her choruses chased-
you answered with one final breath.
I would have given you mine
and one day I will.
We are pathetic in our responses;
Shallow really.
First we held hands...and then we prayed.
For a few moments my globe shrunk and we all became one.
Five years later...we are pathetic.
Just know that those crumbled walls
were not in vain.
Your screams
were not unheard.
I didn't know your face-
and I never touched your hand,
I wasn't there and I didn't leave my mark.
But today I celebrate you
Today I will love because you can't.
Today I will cry because you won't.
Today I will remember you
All two thousand nine hundred and seventy six of you.

09/09/2006

Posted on 09/09/2006
Copyright © 2025 Gregory R Schelske

Member Comments on this Poem
Posted by Maria Terezia Ferencz on 09/09/06 at 11:37 AM

Love the way this begins, the first four lines are excellence. Hate how true it is though, hard to believe that now it is all so forgotten and accepted so easily. Rage dies too fast a death these days...

Posted by Gregory O'Neill on 09/09/06 at 05:36 PM

2,977 thanks you for posting this!

Posted by Chris Sorrenti on 09/12/06 at 12:27 PM

Moving tribute. Thanks for sharing this!

Posted by Kris Mara on 04/28/09 at 12:25 PM

beautiful...that's all I can say here....just beautiful

Posted by Tony Whitaker on 09/11/09 at 07:15 AM

I have never forgotten. I am sitting here in response to your POTD with an America flag draped from my balcony in Basel, Switzerland. Some will hate that symbol of freedom, courage and what binds us as a people. Some don't care and some will. But as a veteran and proud American I salute you and wise words which are self-evident.

Posted by A. Paige White on 09/11/09 at 03:13 PM

A beautiful and moving memorial that I was thrilled to find as POTD. Thank you.

Posted by Kristina Woodhill on 09/11/09 at 03:16 PM

Amen. Thank you.

Posted by Carolyn Coville on 09/11/09 at 11:55 PM

simply beautiful. so glad to see this as POTD

Posted by Maria Massarella on 09/12/09 at 01:37 AM

May I grace your words with the silence of mine?

lovelight*peace...

Posted by James Zealy on 09/18/09 at 03:00 PM

As one who worked for the First airline that failed due to 09/11, Midway airlines, it is a day that is burned in my memory for ever, and the following day was my last as an airline employee. So I can never forget the lives lost, and futures destroyed. While 2,976 lives were lost, thousands more lives were financially destroyed by the subsequent reduction in air service all over the country, and most never recovered.

Posted by Ann Mills on 09/21/09 at 12:03 PM

I have no words to express my appreciation of your poem. Thank you.

Return to the Previous Page
 
pathetic.org
FAQ
Members
Poetry Center
Login
Signup
 

pathetic.org Version 7.3.2 May 2004 Terms and Conditions of Use 0 member(s) and 2 visitor(s) online
All works Copyright © 2025 their respective authors. Page Generated In 0 Second(s)