September 11th - Five Years Later
I still get chills, I still feel sick. Everytime I think of it, I remember the exact moment the second plane hit the second tower... that was the exact moment I arrived at a TV to see what was going on...
I'll never forget that day, a day where in 8th grade, no one treated anyone the same as usual. I saw bullies and their usual prey stand side by side in shock. Teachers who gave homework every day... didn't even have class, but rather had the TV going. We just sat and talked in French... nothing about France so much as how September 11th would affect the world. Nothing about that day was the same. I think I even skipped Choir so I could stay down and watch the Television.
I remember coming home and the only thing on was the rubble... the smoke that could be seen from space. Even the local Weather people pulled up the visible satelite of the NE area of the US... showing the putrid smoke.
But I remember the firefighters, the police, and just the volunteers who rushed to the Trade Centers. Trying to save even just one life. People who risked their lives, and are now paying for it from cancer and other diseases. The Goverment responding to something that had never happened to that scale before: say what you will about the events before or since, but no one will ever be able to tell me they handled that first week horribly.
The shock finally wore off September 12th, around 9PM. I remember being downstairs on the computer when ABC aired a tribute video to the 48 hours before set to Amazing Grace and a few other songs. It showed the plane hitting, the towers crumbling, and the people running through ash, smoke, and hell itself. But they ended with the group of firefighters hanging the giant American Flag next to the scar in the Pentagon. That was when the tears started to fall.
I know many people who used some sort of artistic impluse as a way to cope. I myself wrote poems, songs, and even sketched some things that have since been lost, but there are a few things I just want to post because I feel the need to.
Courtesy Of The Red, White And Blue (The Angry American)
(Toby Keith)
American girls and American guys
We'll always stand up and salute
We'll always recongnize
When we see Old Glory flying there's alot of men dead
So we can sleep in peace at night when we lay down our head
My daddy served in the Army when he lost his right eye
But he flew a flag out in our yard till the day that he died
He wanted my mother, my brother, my sister, and me
To grow up and live happy in the land of the free
Now this nation that I love has fallen under attack
A mighty sucker punch came flying in from somewhere in the back
Soon as we could see clearly through our big, black eye
Man,we lite up your world like the 4th of July
Uncle Sam put your name at the top of his list
And the Statue of Liberty started shaking her fist
And the eagle will fly and its gonna be hell
When you hear Mother Freedom start ringing her bell
And it'll feel like the whole wide world is raining down on you
Brought to you courtesy of the red, white, and blue
Justice will be served and the battle will rage
This big dog will fight when you rattle his cage
You'll be sorry that you messed with the US of A
Cause we'll put a boot in your ass it's the American way
Uncle Sam put your name at the top of his list
And the Statue of Liberty started shaking her fist
And the eagle will fly and its gonna be hell
When you hear Mother Freedom start ringing her bell
And it'll feel like the whole wide world is raining down on you
Brought to you courtesy of the red, white, and blue
Ohhh
Of the red, white, and blue
Ohhh
American Soldier
(Toby Keith/Chuck Cannon)
I’m just tryin’ to be a father, raise a daughter and a son
Be a lover to their mother, everythin’ to everyone
Up and at ‘em bright and early, I’m all business in my suit
Yeah I’m dressed up for success, from my head down to my boots
I don’t do it for money, there’s bills I that I can’t pay
I don’t do it for the glory, I just do it anyway
Providing for our future’s, my responsibility
Yeah I’m real good under pressure, being all that I can be
And I can’t call in sick on Mondays when the weekend’s been too strong
I just work straight through the holidays, and sometimes all night long
You can bet that I stand ready, when the wolf growls at the door
Hey I’m solid, hey I’m steady, hey I’m true down to the core.
And I will always do my duty no matter what the price
I’ve counted up the cost, I know the sacrifice
Oh and I don’t want to die for you, but if dyin’s asked of me
I’ll bear that cross with honor, cause freedom don’t come free.
I’m an American Soldier an American
Beside my brothers and my sisters, I will proudly take a stand
When liberty’s in jeopardy, I will always do what’s right
I’m out here on the front lines, sleep in peace tonight
American Soldier, I’m and American, Soldier.
An American Soldier an American
Beside my brothers and my sisters, I will proudly take a stand
When liberty’s in jeopardy, I will always do what’s right
I’m out here on the front lines, sleep in peace tonight
American Soldier, I’m and American, an American, an American, Soldier.
Have You Forgotten?
(Darryl Worley/Wynn Varble)
I hear people saying we don't need this war
I say there's some things worth fighting for
What about our freedom and this piece of ground
We didn't get to keep 'em by backing down
They say we don't realize the mess we're getting in
Before you start your preaching let me ask you this my friend
Have you forgotten how it felt that day?
To see your homeland under fire
And her people blown away
Have you forgotten when those towers fell?
We had neighbors still inside going thru a living hell
And you say we shouldn't worry 'bout bin Laden
Have you forgotten?
They took all the footage off my T.V.
Said it's too disturbing for you and me
It'll just breed anger that's what the experts say
If it was up to me I'd show it everyday
Some say this country's just out looking for a fight
After 9/11 man I'd have to say that's right
Have you forgotten how it felt that day?
To see your homeland under fire
And her people blown away
Have you forgotten when those towers fell?
We had neighbors still inside going thru a living hell
And you say we shouldn't worry 'bout bin Laden
Have you forgotten?
I've been there with the soldiers
Who've gone away to war
And you can bet that they remember
Just what they're fighting for
Have you forgotten how it felt that day?
To see your homeland under fire
And her people blown away
Have you forgotten when those towers fell?
We had neighbors still inside going thru a living hell
And you say we shouldn't worry 'bout bin Laden
Have you forgotten?
Have you forgotten all the people killed?
Some went down like heros in that Pennsylvania field
Have you forgotten about our Pentagon?
All the loved ones that we lost and those left to carry on
Don't you tell me not to worry about bin Laden
Have you forgotten?
Have you forgotten?
Have you forgotten?
God Bless the USA
If tomorrow all the things were gone
I'd worked for all my life,
And I had to start again
With just my children and my wife,
I'd thank my lucky stars
To be livin' here today.
Cause the flag still stands for freedom
And they can't take that away.
And I'm proud to be an American
Where at least I know I'm free
And I won't forget the men who died
Who gave that right to me
And I gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today
Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land
God bless the USA
From the lakes of Minnesota
To the hills of Tennessee
Across the plains of Texas
From sea to shining sea
From Detroit down to Houston
And New York to LA
Well there's pride in every American heart
And its time we stand and say
That I'm proud to be an American
Where at least I know I'm free
And I won't forget the men who died
Who gave that right to me
And I gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today
Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land
God bless the USA
And I'm proud to be an American
Where at least I know I'm free
And I won't forget the men who died
Who gave that right to me
And I gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today
Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land
God bless the USA
I'll never forget that day, a day where in 8th grade, no one treated anyone the same as usual. I saw bullies and their usual prey stand side by side in shock. Teachers who gave homework every day... didn't even have class, but rather had the TV going. We just sat and talked in French... nothing about France so much as how September 11th would affect the world. Nothing about that day was the same. I think I even skipped Choir so I could stay down and watch the Television.
I remember coming home and the only thing on was the rubble... the smoke that could be seen from space. Even the local Weather people pulled up the visible satelite of the NE area of the US... showing the putrid smoke.
But I remember the firefighters, the police, and just the volunteers who rushed to the Trade Centers. Trying to save even just one life. People who risked their lives, and are now paying for it from cancer and other diseases. The Goverment responding to something that had never happened to that scale before: say what you will about the events before or since, but no one will ever be able to tell me they handled that first week horribly.
The shock finally wore off September 12th, around 9PM. I remember being downstairs on the computer when ABC aired a tribute video to the 48 hours before set to Amazing Grace and a few other songs. It showed the plane hitting, the towers crumbling, and the people running through ash, smoke, and hell itself. But they ended with the group of firefighters hanging the giant American Flag next to the scar in the Pentagon. That was when the tears started to fall.
I know many people who used some sort of artistic impluse as a way to cope. I myself wrote poems, songs, and even sketched some things that have since been lost, but there are a few things I just want to post because I feel the need to.
Courtesy Of The Red, White And Blue (The Angry American)
(Toby Keith)
American girls and American guys
We'll always stand up and salute
We'll always recongnize
When we see Old Glory flying there's alot of men dead
So we can sleep in peace at night when we lay down our head
My daddy served in the Army when he lost his right eye
But he flew a flag out in our yard till the day that he died
He wanted my mother, my brother, my sister, and me
To grow up and live happy in the land of the free
Now this nation that I love has fallen under attack
A mighty sucker punch came flying in from somewhere in the back
Soon as we could see clearly through our big, black eye
Man,we lite up your world like the 4th of July
Uncle Sam put your name at the top of his list
And the Statue of Liberty started shaking her fist
And the eagle will fly and its gonna be hell
When you hear Mother Freedom start ringing her bell
And it'll feel like the whole wide world is raining down on you
Brought to you courtesy of the red, white, and blue
Justice will be served and the battle will rage
This big dog will fight when you rattle his cage
You'll be sorry that you messed with the US of A
Cause we'll put a boot in your ass it's the American way
Uncle Sam put your name at the top of his list
And the Statue of Liberty started shaking her fist
And the eagle will fly and its gonna be hell
When you hear Mother Freedom start ringing her bell
And it'll feel like the whole wide world is raining down on you
Brought to you courtesy of the red, white, and blue
Ohhh
Of the red, white, and blue
Ohhh
American Soldier
(Toby Keith/Chuck Cannon)
I’m just tryin’ to be a father, raise a daughter and a son
Be a lover to their mother, everythin’ to everyone
Up and at ‘em bright and early, I’m all business in my suit
Yeah I’m dressed up for success, from my head down to my boots
I don’t do it for money, there’s bills I that I can’t pay
I don’t do it for the glory, I just do it anyway
Providing for our future’s, my responsibility
Yeah I’m real good under pressure, being all that I can be
And I can’t call in sick on Mondays when the weekend’s been too strong
I just work straight through the holidays, and sometimes all night long
You can bet that I stand ready, when the wolf growls at the door
Hey I’m solid, hey I’m steady, hey I’m true down to the core.
And I will always do my duty no matter what the price
I’ve counted up the cost, I know the sacrifice
Oh and I don’t want to die for you, but if dyin’s asked of me
I’ll bear that cross with honor, cause freedom don’t come free.
I’m an American Soldier an American
Beside my brothers and my sisters, I will proudly take a stand
When liberty’s in jeopardy, I will always do what’s right
I’m out here on the front lines, sleep in peace tonight
American Soldier, I’m and American, Soldier.
An American Soldier an American
Beside my brothers and my sisters, I will proudly take a stand
When liberty’s in jeopardy, I will always do what’s right
I’m out here on the front lines, sleep in peace tonight
American Soldier, I’m and American, an American, an American, Soldier.
Have You Forgotten?
(Darryl Worley/Wynn Varble)
I hear people saying we don't need this war
I say there's some things worth fighting for
What about our freedom and this piece of ground
We didn't get to keep 'em by backing down
They say we don't realize the mess we're getting in
Before you start your preaching let me ask you this my friend
Have you forgotten how it felt that day?
To see your homeland under fire
And her people blown away
Have you forgotten when those towers fell?
We had neighbors still inside going thru a living hell
And you say we shouldn't worry 'bout bin Laden
Have you forgotten?
They took all the footage off my T.V.
Said it's too disturbing for you and me
It'll just breed anger that's what the experts say
If it was up to me I'd show it everyday
Some say this country's just out looking for a fight
After 9/11 man I'd have to say that's right
Have you forgotten how it felt that day?
To see your homeland under fire
And her people blown away
Have you forgotten when those towers fell?
We had neighbors still inside going thru a living hell
And you say we shouldn't worry 'bout bin Laden
Have you forgotten?
I've been there with the soldiers
Who've gone away to war
And you can bet that they remember
Just what they're fighting for
Have you forgotten how it felt that day?
To see your homeland under fire
And her people blown away
Have you forgotten when those towers fell?
We had neighbors still inside going thru a living hell
And you say we shouldn't worry 'bout bin Laden
Have you forgotten?
Have you forgotten all the people killed?
Some went down like heros in that Pennsylvania field
Have you forgotten about our Pentagon?
All the loved ones that we lost and those left to carry on
Don't you tell me not to worry about bin Laden
Have you forgotten?
Have you forgotten?
Have you forgotten?
God Bless the USA
If tomorrow all the things were gone
I'd worked for all my life,
And I had to start again
With just my children and my wife,
I'd thank my lucky stars
To be livin' here today.
Cause the flag still stands for freedom
And they can't take that away.
And I'm proud to be an American
Where at least I know I'm free
And I won't forget the men who died
Who gave that right to me
And I gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today
Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land
God bless the USA
From the lakes of Minnesota
To the hills of Tennessee
Across the plains of Texas
From sea to shining sea
From Detroit down to Houston
And New York to LA
Well there's pride in every American heart
And its time we stand and say
That I'm proud to be an American
Where at least I know I'm free
And I won't forget the men who died
Who gave that right to me
And I gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today
Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land
God bless the USA
And I'm proud to be an American
Where at least I know I'm free
And I won't forget the men who died
Who gave that right to me
And I gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today
Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land
God bless the USA