Silent and surreal to horrified onlookers thousands of miles away,
From nearby, thunderous and ghastly.
One hundred stories, in seconds reduced to rubble.
Intense heat, fire, poisonous smoke.
Screams from the shearing metal and searing souls,
Death, destruction . . . dust.
A colossal shock wave jolting adjacent structures.
A tsunami commingling horror, fear, and desperation
Radiating outward engulfing the globe.
Impassioned saviors converging from near and far,
Filled with purpose and generosity.
Thousands struggling to locate survivors,
Millions volunteering aid,
Billions cheering them on.
Around the world, profound grief and disbelief,
But it is real,
So very real.
Common citizens surpassing saints with acts of bravery and benevolence.
Police and firefighters rushing headlong into the flaming buildings.
Pompous citizens delivering water and food to the rescuers,
Now endowed with altruism in place of their prior disdain.
Young and old, wealthy and poor, friends and strangers alike
Clinging together, cheering firefighters, hugging police,
And singing!
Heroes ALL.
OH, the power of tragedy,
That it can join those otherwise kept apart by design or circumstance
And prod our better nature into realizing its inherent goodness
Embodied in noble deeds and sentiments.
Enormous compassion pouring out from many lands.
Borders fading from view
As human beings rise to prominence;
Beings allied by a common mind,
Perceiving brotherhood with a global community
And transcending their usual parochial points of view.
Candles adorning the altars of the earth,
Flowered wreaths in Warsaw, Paris, Nairobi, and Dublin,
Memorials honoring the dead;
Tears comforting the living.
A time for respect and reverence,
Prayer and praise,
Sorrow and solace.
Irresistible feelings of love connecting people everywhere.
For all, a single unifying purpose:
Minister unto each other and to the world.
A surprising sense of optimism arising from the disaster.
Whether by blessed providence or indifferent fate,
We are now presented with a burgeoning hope
Glimmering among the ashes
Beckoning us to pursue a different course
Hitherto unheeded.
Much wisdom to be learned;
Much benefit to be earned:
Harmony with distant and diverse neighbors,
Perspective in place of national myopia,
Collective vision to guide the citizens of Earth
To fashion a better world for ALL.
Politicians and generals,
Proponents of myriad ideologies,
United as never before behind shared goals and desires.
A unique opportunity shining forth,
Could we but see it, embrace it before it fades!
Moments for thoughtful reflection,
Realizing that we’ve trod paths destined for disaster:
Powerful entities covet the fruits of domestic and foreign lands;
Others see the fruit rotting in our hands,
See us stuffed, unable to swallow more
Yet, like monkeys caught in a trap,
Unwilling to release our grasp.
Under the vice of avarice and seemingly unaware,
With fealty to the reign of power and profit,
We consume ever more irreplaceable resources,
Returning to the earth toxic liquids and noxious air,
Laying waste to our planet just as surely as the terrorists
Who wantonly destroyed our city and so many lives,
Slower, to be sure, but an equally effective devastation
And more permanent by far.
Tacitly condoned by society and leaders telling us
That we do what we do in the name of necessity
Or self-preservation, or progress.
Did the terrorists perhaps hold a similar belief?
A burst of clarity revealing the obvious:
That living in isolation is no longer possible.
The affairs of humankind are inextricably intertwined.
Reaching across the barriers we have erected,
Be they cultural, racial, religious, or other,
Kindred spirits are emerging and building a community
Spanning oceans, beliefs, and philosophical divides.
Opportunity rapping on our door.
How much louder need it knock before our awakening?
Ray Park September 21, 2001
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE
September 21, 2011
