Photograph of September 11
Wislawa Szymborska
They jumped from the burning floors—
one, two, a few more,
higher, lower.
The photograph halted them in life,
and now keeps them
above the earth toward the earth.
Each is still complete,
with a particular face
and blood well hidden.
There’s enough time
for hair to come loose,
for keys and coins
to fall from pockets.
They’re still within the air’s reach,
within the compass of places
that have just now opened.
I can do only two things for them—
describe this flight
and not add a last line.
--Monologue of a Dog
One of the great tragedies of the events in New York on 9/11 is that there were no bodies. Without the physical comfort of the human body — even in the repose of death — the despair and heartache experienced by loved ones is beyond imagination.
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting this, Susan.
Thank you, T!
DeleteSee you tomorrow~