Timothy Lawton

9/16/01

I feel attacked today!
Looking over a horizon forever changed
A sihlouette of billowing smoke shadowing in black illusion
The image of those now dissapeared giants, the Twin Towers
Yet it’s all too real, but I still don’t believe it!
But, it’s happened
They’re gone
Gone!
Gone as I stand mongst the silent crowd in stunned awe, in disbelieving shock
They’re gone, gone as we gaze out from the rocky ridge gaping at the demon cloud rising against the crystal blue sky of a sunny September day
Tranquil and beautiful save that flame flickering up from the bowels of hell itself burning our sky
Save those distant sirens speaking the tale of untold suffering deep beneath the black mask that covers the city
I’ll never look at that skyline the same again
The world is forever different
Those two buildings were what allowed me to stand in any city in the world and know that I’ve seen something bigger, because there were two of them.
Two of them side by side
But, now they’re gone!
Gone!
In a single moment 270 million people were turned into soldiers
The entire population of the free world was placed on the frontline
Now is the time to look inward and up
To purify our hearts and set our minds toward God
Yes, this is a holy war!
A war against the beast
Yet, let us not fall into the pit as well
We must only seek justice and not revenge
We must crush the beast inside as well as out
Crush it under the increasing weight of the word of God in our hearts
For the difference between us and them is that every life is sacred
Every man an image of God
The difference between us and them is that we pray for our enemies
Even the beasts who committed this unspeakable crime
And if we don’t, they have already won
We will have turned from God as well
So, if we offer our embrace and our hands are thrown off it is time to show them our arms
May we defend ourselves armored in the love of God
Seeking only to strike our enemies until they cease to attack
Always remembering the horror of that billowing black cloud of smoke
The terror in our home
That fire sparked from the flames of hell
For there is a time for peace and a time for war
Looking over this horizon forever changed
I realize that this is war!