never forget
whenever they tell you to remember
the ill-fated eleventh of September
they never want you to focus on
the fact that everyone came together
that day, ten assholes hit two towers
and before they fell, they burned for hours
while hundreds of people climbed the stairs
wearing all the gear that people must wear
when they are one of those we have hired
to run not away, but into a fire – and those were
just the first of the everyday heroes
thousands, of them running, down to Ground Zero
not just firefighters, but police and paramedics
doing all-nighters, triple-duty, like, sleep? Forget it
because out there, in the ash and rubble
there could be one person, hurt and in trouble
so they dug, and they dug, and they dug
as days turned to weeks and their lungs turned black
because they knew, no matter what,
their families would want their bodies back
whenever someone says never forget
they don’t mean any of these facts
they say remember, but don’t remind you
of the giant, impromptu evac
while the towers burnt in Manhattan
no one knew what next would happen
the island was choked with dust and smoke
the subways and the bridges were shut down
people started jumping in the rivers
fleeing what they feared was a killing ground
so the Coast Guard went for broke
they hopped up on the radio, calling for
*kshht* “anyone, anyone with a boat”
and from every direction, tens of thousands
coming in anything that would float
like proof you can find all you need
in the hearts of ordinary folks
four places would’ve been hit that day
if the assholes had had their way
the only reason it was three, and not more
was the people on plane four
some of them had kept their cell phones on
they heard about the planes hitting
the Twin Towers and the Pentagon
they were shocked – and they stopped dead
and they were scared – but they said
“well, if today’s my last day
I am not going out that way”
you still doubt the truth? you want more proof
that humans will sacrifice for the many?
Marc Sasseville and Heather Penney
sent to get that fourth plane on jets
so fast they didn’t have missiles yet
they raced off at the speed of sound
only one way to bring that plane down
not knowing that the people onboard
had already put it in the ground
just knowing success meant their death
people say never forget – but they
focus on the towers and forget the rest
they want you to miss what came next
that’s why they call it the aftermath
they want your eyes to slide right past
human compassion on a scale so vast
it seems more than our minds can grasp
the chain of hearts and hands and brains
from the firefighters to police and EMTs
to the hospital staff in emergency rooms
that went knee-deep through a bloodbath
pulling people back from their tombs,
like “This day shall not be your last!”
whenever they tell you remember
they mean the same handful of frames
the last few seconds of flight
of only three of those fucking planes
the towers, and their halo of flames
and the number of Americans slain
because they want your rage, and your pain
they want you ready to be trained
to drop bombs out of planes
and put two in someone’s brain
they want you so mad your brain short-circuits
so mad you don’t stop and ask is this shit worth it
or to ask the most basic question –
do heroes take life, or protect and nurture it?