Lest We Forget

Lest we forget ..

It was a normal morning at work
I fussed about the lack of parking available as I did every morning
I stopped at the little convenient store for my morning Dew
The tool boxes were unlocked and assignments given
We all made our way to our work areas
Someone had a radio hanging on a metal wall stud
It twanged the popular country music of the day
It was an alright morning, nothing spectacular

That changed

There was a plane that hit a tower
For thirty-one minutes, it was a terrible accident
Then it was just terrible
We had been attacked in a cowardly act of terrorism
Everything changed at that moment
Then the Pentagon was hit
Next, a plane went down in a Pennsylvania field
Heroes were born all over this Country

I don't think anyone at work did much that day
Numbness set in rather quickly
The TV news splashed the pictures
Into America's living rooms
Radio stations painted the dismal scene
with vivid grays and blacks
Newspapers were filled with accounts
Of bravery and heroism

Nearly three years have come and gone
The war against terrorism still rages
The stories still travel around the country
Showing the wealth of patriotism
Occasionally, I will get an email
The subject line emblazoning
The rallying cry of that day
"Lest we forget"

How can I forget that sinking feeling
How can I erase the vivid imagery
How can I not see, not hear, not know
How can I unchange the changes
Tell me
How do I go back to September 10, 2001
How
How can I forget

Ron Simpson Jr.
August 31, 2004