In Memory of the Lives Lost 10 Years Ago

September 11, 2001

Pitch black
Nowhere to go
Nothing to do but sit, wait, and pray
Air is limited
I see a point of light
Hear voices
People are coming to the rescue
Air is running out
Wish they'd hurry up
Almost suffocating
A big ray of sun breaks through the darkness
Air pours in
They're here
They've found me
I crawl out through an opening in the rubble
The sun is bright
People are clapping
I find my family
We're happy to be together again
But all around there's weeping and mourning
So many people gone
So much suffering
They'll never be forgotten

Dedicated to all the families who lost loved ones in the World Trade Center attack. Also to the survivors, firefighters, and those who helped in many other ways.

(I wrote the poem shortly after the attack. I was fifteen. I was in driver's ed when
we heard a TV on in the next room and a couple people walking outside. We thought nothing of it and the teacher continued with the lesson. I went to geometry class shortly after and learned what had happened.)