Remember

You vowed never to forget
Tuesday, September 11, 2001,
a business morning, workers rushing
to beat time clocks, when the first plane hit
between floors 93-99 of the 110-story
North Tower; it’s 8:46am, do you remember?
At 9:03am, a second plane hits floors 77-85
of the South Tower of the World Trade Center.

Nineteen terrorists on suicide attacks, hijacking
planes, a third hits the pentagon at 9:37am
and a fourth crashes into a field at 10:03am
in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. At 9:59am,
the South Tower collapses, followed at 10:28
by the North Tower. Do you remember where
you were, what you were doing when you heard
the news? I am sure you remember the grief,
disbelief, anger, distrust, misery, heart-shredding
pain these attacks caused.

Do you remember the chaos, falling steel and
concrete debris, fires, and dust everywhere.
Horror of human cinders, cries for help, and
do you remember the uniforms rushing in to
help, to do their duty to shield their community
from terrorists?

Firefighters trained to control flames,
ambulance workers trained to save lives,
and police officers sworn to protect and serve.
One minute after the first plane hit the North Tower,
police were dispatched to the scene, along with fire-
fighters and emergency service personnel. One minute.
Do you remember the photos of police covered in dust,
carrying survivors, mourning victims, their tears real?
I wonder if you remember how proud you were of them,
how proud of our city, state, and country.

Try to envision the pride you displayed in seeing in flags
flown everywhere, our red white and blue; bloodshed
from innocent victims, protected by blue uniforms.
Remember?

“The mission of the NYC Police Department
is to enhance the quality of life in NYC by working
in partnership with the community to enforce the law,
preserve peace, protect the people, reduce fear, and
maintain order.”

Do you remember last week when you were captured
by the press marching in protest, flinging profanities
and middle finger threats at police officers there,
doing their job to keep the peace, to keep you safe
by controlling non-peaceful protestors?

Do you remember 9/11, Patriot Day, 2,996 victims,
25,000 injured, memorials of flowers and pictures
on street corners and billboards, the missing, the agony,
the loyalty of a united nation.

Do you remember how you said
you’d never forget…

~ J R Turek
June 28, 2020
Hour 24