Elise Skidmore

The twilight settles
and the blue sky fades
to gold, pink, and fiery orange.
The beauty is both vibrant and peaceful;
my thoughts wander on the warm breeze.


As human beings,
each generation has its markers
that measure and date us.
My parents remembered Pearl Harbor,
I know exactly where I was
and what I was doing when
I heard that JFK was shot,
and my children mark September 11th
and the sight of the Twin Towers
enveloped in smoke.


With few exceptions,
we tend to track trauma;
it is only with time
that the shock and pain disperse
and we can look back
to remember without tears.


In the fire of this September sky
I am reminded, not only
of the pain and horror that is
synonymous with 9/11,
but the goodness of people
across the country and around the world,
who opened their hearts
and reached out to help their fellows
who'd been dealt such a low blow.


Maybe we track trauma,
because it is during the darkest hours
that we come together as one,
without thought for race, creed, color, or class.
We are all human beings
and in helping others,
we help all of us.


As the twilight becomes full dark,
I will remember that the light will come again,
and there will be joy in the morning.

~Elise Skidmore ©2020

We Will Not Forget