Tags
9/11/2001, 9/11/2011, @TheosTrek, I, Original Poetry, Peace, September 11 Anniversary, Unity, We, World Peace
9/11/2001
Who are we?
This world, this nation, this city, this field, this me –
Are we a part of one another, pieces of the same puzzle?
Do we feel for one another and with one another?
Do we live in isolation, consumed by our own concerns?
Do we give and receive with grace?
Do we want to grow?
Do we seek for solutions?
Do we point out problems, and sit back?
Do we complain, or
Do we get busy?
Are we one of many?
Are we many of one?
Do we always look back, or
Ever forward?
Do we tackle today while
Facing the future?
Hesitant or confident
Optimistic or resigned?
Pessimistic or hopeful?
Who are we, exactly?
Where are we going?
Do we exist?
Or are we but a rising, swelling tide
Of I?
9/11/2011
Who are we?
This world, this nation, this city, this field, this me?
Ten years have passed.
Are we seeking the same solutions –
In which nothing is solved.
Stubbornly clinging to emptiness
Insisting it be hailed as substance?
And are we yet alive?
Are we reaching out beyond our place?
Beyond our time, outside the familiar?
Will the wealth of me be offered
For the enough for we?
Can we be more than a collection of I?
Can we reshape the lessons of yesterday
Into a new design for living?
Would peace exist for me
If it did not for we?
Still the landscape burns –
Something is bartered for nothing;
Buildings tumble, life crumbles to dust;
Living becomes an oxymoron.
Will I expend my life elevating myself
By diminishing another?
Do I ever contemplate we before I?
Can we count if I do not?
This I have learned, and
This I know
When I become a part of we
The world turns upside down:
ME becomes WE.
Yet the nascent we
Still waits on me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Gentle Readers – all is well here in “Blogatical Land,” and I continue to think of you all daily, and as always, I wish you enough. . .
Of all days my mom passed away today. No day would have been a good one. It has made me think about how much we are so much about “me”. I am going to strive to be much better.
Do you mean the date of 9/11, or did your mother pas away today – 9/11/13. Either way, my heart and prayers are being poured out for you and your family. My own Mom passed away from Alzheimer’s temporary grip on March 28, 2001,so I am grateful she did not live long enough to see the events unfold before her earthly eyes, but could put them in a heavenly perspective. Blessings on you and yours. Loss is inevitable, but along with it comes the power of God’s Grace and presence to bring us through it and give us the power and strength to move on ahead and not diminish, but to grow in love and understanding..
I also wonder, “who could thee be”
but I think I’ll always only know “me”
Reblogged this on and commented:
This day in history must not be forgotten. I find myself thinking of the people of Syria, and feel my heart weeping and yearning for “We.” What about you? Seems sometimes that in reality it’s not just a “Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” but tragically a “Me, Me, Me, Me World.” I pray without ceasing that all of the coffers of our lives will be filled with the abundance of enough. . .
So true, Paula. Our world is, for the most part, a world of “me”. I think we–the people of this world–have “evolved” to a state beyond return to a we–if there ever was such a state. I can’t imagine the horrors that lie in wait for those who are left behind, and yet, even then, I think it will remain an every-man-for-himself world. I could go on and on, but there’s too much to say. Your poem offers me fodder for the novel I’m currently writing. I’m going to save it, and take a glance at it as I go (if you don’t mind). I suppose you can say that makes us a we, although I think we already are.
If you haven’t been following my story (the one I’m doing the novel on) take a look when you have time. This is the first of the eleven segments already written. The remaining segments are linked to it: http://charleslmashburn.wordpress.com/2011/11/23/the-last-grain-of-sand/
Thank you, Charles! Of course you may use whatever you wish of the poem, and in whatever way you choose! I am honored. I think we are a “We,” but I am a bit more optimistic than you on this matter. I do believe that it is possible because that is one of the reasons we have been created, and I believe that God’s will will in the end be done. The battles still rage, but the war has already been won.
I have seen some of your posts that include your novel chapters but unfortunately have not yet had the time to read them! I have now put it on the top of my “to do” list. Thanks so much for linking me to the beginning!
Funny how the following two months found most Americans seeking truth, and understanding ( Together) in places many had never assembled. Funny, how ten years later…none seem to be able to agree upon the answer to your equitable question.
God Bless You
paul
We are the world – but the world is, indeed, too full of I and me.
Lovely Paula. I love this question; can we reshape the lessons of yesterday?
Our aspiration to a better world starts inside each of us – today.
We shared your horror ten years ago.
We can only affect outer things if each of us works on faults within ourselves.
Great reflection, Paula, and nice to hear from you.
John
Hi Paula.
nice to hear from you, in spite of the seriousness of the subject.
We, at our church, sang a hymn to remember 9/11.
I know as a country we have you in our hearts.
John
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If the Me all became We then there would always be…enough.
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United we stand.
I have created a link to Nancy’s post toay. Please click on her comment, and take time for a viist to Nancy’s beautiful site, “Spirit Lights the Way.”
The dream of WE is yet to BE. If the world would only listen to and live these ancient words of Truth, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, your soul, your mind, and your strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.” And who is our neighbor? What does it take to love that way? “ME becomes WE.”. That happened for a brief time around the tragic events of 9/11/01. It can happen again the more we remember the dream of WE.
Hubs
Great Stuff Paula and I am glad you are still with us….
We remember with love those who lost their lives in 2001 and those who lost friends,and relatives
My thoughts are with the families who have lost dear people and the whole American nation today! Blessings Paula!
Really thought provoking. Lovely to hear a whisper from blogatical land. And you’re having a twitatical too! It’s very quiet!
Profound, Paula. My thoughts are with America today.
Inspiring post, Paula. Wouldn’t it be wonderful… but it is stil far, far away, this dream of WE. Unfortunately selfishness still abounds worldwide.