DO WE SAY HAPPY 9/11?

9/11/11

im listening to npr (national public radio's) special broadcast for this day.
lovely. beautiful music. folks are calling in to share
their thoughts, memories of 9/11

i heard someone say recently that americans don't have rituals.
well they might be wrong. i am so moved by
the music playing in the back ground:
now its an adaggio -- not sure of the title who the composer is
earlier a vocal titiled "hallalujah".

there is hope for this world.
at least today we can be one in our memories
of what happened ten years ago.....

of course there is so much more beyond
this day, this moment, this country.
and the truth of 9/11 remains for many
a conspirator theory, but beyond this,
suffering continues. human made.

im looking forward to a better world.
one day at a time
we're alive and have so much to be thankful for ==
family, friends, strangers we encounter,
we give them a smile, a dime.

like nora the homeless woman who was panhandling
outside the supermarket in my hood.
it was around midnight i stopped to talk to her,
to hear her story, how did she land up on the street?
i put a few dollars in her palm and moved on. she
was so grateful, "you a bad sister", her voice fell behind
me, as i walked home through the soft warm
late summer night.

and then there was the young muslim woman who i
met early one morning ,a few weeks back.
she was picking in the garbage can in the
front of the building next to where i live,
rifling through the glass to retrieve empty bottles.
i said, "asalamu alaikum". she smiled. i said
wait i'll be right back. i want to give you some money.
i crawled up the stairs to my fourth apartment. on my hands and knees
like my friend's two year old boy jj does when he comes
to visit me, i was so overwrought
with pain, sympathy, compassion for this woman.

as i handed her the money, she threw her harm around
my neck. thank you she whispered in my ear.

right now, today, "knock, knock knocking on heaven's door is playing on
the radio. its performed by nirvana.

open up, open up... the music fades

do we say happy 9/11.

hum, i don't think so...


whew!

love.
moi