21 Comments
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Elizabeth Beggins's avatar

Yes, it persists. It is the closest we've come, in our lifetimes, to war on our soils. Instead, we turned it into a foreign war. Thanks to you, and to any of us who can be honest with ourselves and each other. Blame is a slippery slope. Beautiful words, Elizabeth. I'm sorry for the loss of your dad.

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26thAvenuePoet (Elizabeth)'s avatar

Thank you, my friend. 💛🌿

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Thomas Rist's avatar

Some wonderful poems here, Elizabeth. Airplanes and Firehouse are especially fine.

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26thAvenuePoet (Elizabeth)'s avatar

Thank you for reading and commenting, Thomas.

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Brian Funke's avatar

I loved firehouse. Powerful section of this poem.

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26thAvenuePoet (Elizabeth)'s avatar

Thank you, Brian.

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Margaret Ann Silver's avatar

Elizabeth, I have no words good enough for these poems.

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26thAvenuePoet (Elizabeth)'s avatar

🙏🏼💛🌿

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Donald Carlson's avatar

Powerful and searing. As a 9/11 poem, yours ranks up there with Billy Collins's "The Names."

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26thAvenuePoet (Elizabeth)'s avatar

An honor to have a poem of mine mentioned in the same sentence as one by Mr. Collins. Thanks for reading and commenting, Donald.

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LeeAnn Pickrell's avatar

Oh Elizabeth, this is such a beautiful poem. All of it is wonderful, but the section about the dust just broke my heart. This poem captures what we all felt that day, what we witnessed where we were, especially if we weren’t there, but were across the country, watching it on television and feeling so powerless. Thank you so much for sharing this one.

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26thAvenuePoet (Elizabeth)'s avatar

Thanks so much for receiving the poem so generously, LeeAnn. 💛🌿

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Tara Connor's avatar

This is beautiful and hard and so fitting. I always wish for cloudy skies and rain on the anniversary. There is something so much harder when it’s a perfect September day, impossibly blue sky, exquisite weather, just like it was then, just like it was today.

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26thAvenuePoet (Elizabeth)'s avatar

Talk about "out of the blue...." I know just what you mean, Tara. Thank you for reading.

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shari young's avatar

You have rendered me appropriately somber.

The inclusion of your father story adds poignancy to depth

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26thAvenuePoet (Elizabeth)'s avatar

"Somber" is one of the threads that runs through the fabric of things, and some days it's an easy thread to see. Thanks for your generous reading, Shari.

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Jeni Hankins's avatar

Thank you, Elizabeth,

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26thAvenuePoet (Elizabeth)'s avatar

Thank you for reading, Jeni. 💛🌿

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Sep 11, 2024
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26thAvenuePoet (Elizabeth)'s avatar

Thank you, Maureen. 💛🌿

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Sep 11, 2024
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26thAvenuePoet (Elizabeth)'s avatar

How frightening for your daughter and for you, Jody. I'll look for your Note; grateful for the reminder of how people rise to awful occasions with kindness and courage.

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Sep 11, 2024
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Patris's avatar

It came so close to us I wonder if I’ll ever not feel the shock of it.

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