A poem for the dead...sigh..

Just passing these along as I get them.....perhaps they'll help someone a bit to focus their emotions....Q



Date: Wed, 12 Sep 2001 11:57:38 EDT
For the innocent people who went to work or got on a
plane on Tuesday.
For the brave heroes who courageously came to their
rescue and never again saw the light of day.
For all the pain and sadness they are enduring.
Please God, never let this happen again anywhere.
None of this had to happen.

FROM ME TO YOU...........

When tomorrow starts without me, and I'm not there to
see;
If the sun should rise and find your eyes all filled
with tears for me;
I wish so much you wouldn't cry the way you did today,
while thinking of the many things we didn't get to
say.

I know how much you love me, as much as I love you,
and each time you think of me I know you'll miss me,
too;
But when tomorrow starts without me, please try to
understand,
that an angel came and called my name and took me by
the hand,
and said my place was ready in heaven far above,
and that I'd have to leave behind all those I dearly
love.

But as I turned to walk away, a tear fell from my eye,
for all my life, I'd always thought I didn't want to
die.
I had so much to live for and so much yet to do,
it seemed almost impossible that I was leaving you.

I thought of all the yesterdays, the good ones and the
bad,
I thought of all the love we shared and all the fun we
had.
If I could relive yesterday, I thought, just for
awhile,
I'd say goodbye and kiss you and maybe see you smile.
But then I fully realized that this could never be,
for emptiness and memories would take the place of me.

And when I thought of wordly things that I'd miss come
tomorrow,
I thought of you, and when I did, my heart was filled
with sorrow.
But when I walked through heaven's gates, I felt so
much at home.
When God looked down and smiled at me, from His great
golden throne,
He said, "This is eternity and all I've promised you.
Today for life on earth is past but here it starts
anew.
I promise no tomorrow, but today will always last,
and since each day's the same day, there's no longing
for the past.

You have been so faithful, so trusting, so true.
Though there were times you did some things you knew
you shouldn't do.
You have been forgiven and now at last you're free.
So won't you take my hand and share my life with me?"

So when tomorrow starts without me, don't think we're
far apart
For everytime you think of me, I'm right here in your
heart.

Okay...edited out all those brackets. Obviously this was an emotional time for us all, but I can't believe I posted something without bracket stripping it first...sheesh. Q

Nice

I love this poem......but I dont think we should dwell on this to much longer......A fine peom though great work!

Hymn Before Action

The earth is full of anger,
The seas are dark with wrath,
The Nations in their harness
Go up against our path:
Ere yet we loose the legions--
Ere yet we draw the blade,
Jehovah of the Thunders,
Lord God of Battles, aid!

High lust and froward bearing,
Proud heart, rebellious brow--
Deaf ear and soul uncaring,
We seek Thy mercy now!
The sinner that forswore Thee,
The fool that passed Thee by,
Our times are known before Thee--
Lord, grant us strength to die!

For those who kneel beside us
At altars not Thine own,
Who lack the lights that guide us,
Lord, let their faith atone!
If wrong we did to call them,
By honour bound they came;
Let not Thy Wrath befall them,
But deal to us the blame.

From panic, pride, and terror,
Revenge that knows no rein--
Light haste and lawless error,
Protect us yet again.
Cloke Thou our understanding,
Make firm the shuddering breath,
In silence and unswerving
To taste Thy lesser death.

Ah, Mary pierced with sorrow,
Remember, reach and save
The soul that comes tomorrow
Before the God that gave!
Since each was born of woman,
For each at utter need--
True comrade and true foeman,
Madonna intercede!

E'en now their vanguard gathers,
E'en now we face the fray--
As Thou didst help our fathers,
Help Thou our host today.
Fulfilled of signs and wonders,
In life, in death made clear--
Jehovah of the Thunders,
Lord God of Battles, hear!



Rudyard Kipling - 1896

Lord Of Battle

May the Lord Of Battle be with us...I fear we'll need all the help we can get. Afghanistan is going to be a tough nut to crack....

Great poem, Qkjakl, and DEFINITELY the Rudyard Kipling poem, thanks!

It's funny, I am feeling so guilty because I've been posting in the stories section and the mainstream section....it's like how could I do this? But I guess if we don't keep going on, they win. Is anyone else feeling like this?

Yes I feel guilty to, but if i concentrate on the terror attacks to much I'll become very depressed so I'm trying to strike up other thoughts. Make no mistake though, the horror is in the back of my mind. Its to hard to supress those thoughts. In honor of those who've lost their lives and loved ones I'll never forget. I don't think any compasionate person will.

You are TOTALLY right on the money......all the time we can spend NOT thinking about the horror is precious indeed.....it's basically for me a few hours in front of the TV (though I had rehearsal this morning) and then some time on the computer, usually with the TV on (but sometimes with the sound off). After I take care of all my computer business(!), then I go right back to the news. Every few hours I also put some music on, usually for about 20 minutes.

guilt

tuesday was my cousin's birthday and wednesday was mine. we were suppose to spend tuesday spoiling ourselves with a day of shopping and over priced dining. needless to say we felt sick to our stomachs and ended up spending the day glued to CNN. my cousin said that after 38 yrs of birthdays... this is the first time she realized that her birthday was 911. of course, just having another birthday feels like privilege these days.

trying to go on with your life and allowing yourself to smile or laugh with out feeling it is disrespectful is hard to do right now... but healthy, I think. little by little, as with any tragedy in life, we go on. we love, and we laugh but we are changed. accept the pain with out closing out joy. easier said than done... but possible.

Here are two pieces I find appropriate to the situation. The first is by William Blake, though I haven't ben able to track down much more info than that. I found it in a song called "Lullaby" spoken by Shakespearean-voiced actor Douglas Campbell over the sad Celtic instrumentals of Loreena McKennitt on her album Elemental, 1994 Quinlan Road music. It echoes the felings of Strel and qjakal, I think, and serves to indict the Taliban and other architects of terror rather than the innocent citizenry:

"O for a voice like thunder, and a tongue to drown the throat of war!
When the senses are shaken and the soul is driven to madness,
Who can stand?
When the souls of the oppressed fight in the troubled air that rages,
Who can stand?
When the whirlwind of fury comes from the Throne of God,
When the frowns of His countenance drive the nations together,
Who can stand?
When Sin claps his broad wings over the battle, and sails rejoicing in the flood of Death;
When souls are torn to everlasting fire, and fiends of Hell rejoice upon the slain,
O Who can stand?
O who hath caused this?
O who can aswer at the Throne of God?
The Kings and the Nobles of the Land have done it!
Hear it not, Heaven, thy Ministers have done it!"

The other is called "How Can I Keep From Singing?" by Enya, from her album Shepherd Moons, 1991 Reprise Records. I think of it when I watch the scenes of people working tirelessly to rebuild their lives in defiance of the terrorists, and when I read today of a baby born in my area at the exact moment of the attack. It echoes Ayla & nontkl's thoughts about not allowing the good in life to be wiped away by tragedy:

"My life goes on in endless song
above earth's lamentations,
I hear the real, though far-off hymn
that hails a new creation.

Through all the tumult and the strife
I hear it's music ringing,
It sounds an echo in my soul.
How can I keep from singing?

While though the tempest loudly roars,
I hear the truth, it liveth.
And though the darkness 'round me close,
songs in the night it giveth.

No storm can shake my inmost calm,
while to that rock I'm clinging.
Since love is lord of heaven and earth
how can I keep from singing?

When tyrants tremble in their fear
and hear their death knell ringing,
when friends rejoice both far and near
how can I keep from singing?

In prison cell and dungeon vile
our thoughts to them are winging,
when friends by shame are undefiled
how can I keep from singing?"

MK, I'm familiar with both. Thanks for the reminder, especially for the Enya piece. In 1991, I saw it as commentary on the fall of the Evil Empire, but it fits the current situation as well or better.

Kipling is unfortunately out of style in these "enlightened" times. It's too bad, because he had a way of finding and illuminating the truth. See his "The Grave of the Hundred Head" (1885), which is the model in miniature for our response to this atrocity.

Q is right about Afghanistan. I still haven't been able to make the numbers come out right on that one. We'll be fighting a war in a mountain desert, at the ass end of nowhere, with a military that's too small and trained to fight the Red Army on the plains of Europe. It won't be quick (even getting set up to start will take months) and it won't be cheap, either of lives or resources.

All the more reason to strike an irresistable killing blow, leave not one stone atop another, and not one soul alive.

Strelnikov

Blood & Thunder....

Strel, hope you heard the latest crap coming out of Afghanistan...accusing us of manufacturing an excuse to invade them....lol..as though there's something in there that we want or need. The jewel that they call Afghanistan would make a fine territory...lol..? I also heard that the population is streaming out of the country in a 360 degree rush. If they would just cough the monster up, they could save themselves and whats left of their deserts and mountains. Flattening these already beaten down little countries isn't the challenge really...it's making them understand that we're NOT what they have been taught we are their whole pitiful lives. If we could bring them here, SHOW them what life CAN be like...let them read our Declaration of Independence, Bill Of Rights and Constitution and SEE these principles in action, we would topple those regimes easily. Once ignited, democracy is a powerful flame. I know...unrealistic dreaming...I heard you sneering all the way over here, Old Man...lol. Send in a picture of your craggy, wrinkly hat holder to the forum, willya Strel? I currently see you as a cross between a Lincoln and Lenin in my minds eye! Maybe a bit of the Einstein hairdo thrown in>? Q

More like Lenin - the hair style, at least.

No, Q, I'm not sneering at you. Even totalitarian regimes pretend to believe in democratic ideals and the worth and dignity of the individual. Sometimes, as in the case of the USSR, it bites them on the ass. Western civilization and Western ideals have taken a beating since 1914, but they're still the best deal available to ordinary people. They realize it, too, or they wouldn't risk their lives in leaky boats or unventilated shipping containers to come here.

But how to convince our enemies? In World War II, we hammered them flat and then built them back up by such measures as the Marshall Plan. That will be tougher this time around. I just hope our resolve doesen't evaporate with the job half finished.

Strelnikov

NO!....

Not this time Strel....this isn't the flavor of the week. As I said on a previous thread, we OWE our fallen citizens our best efforts and the justice of ridding the world of this evil cancer that has grown among the nations. NY will stay on this FOREVER.....I'll bang the damn drum myself if needed, but it won't be. There's a LOT of writers and businessmen here who are just plain PO'd. Q