NOT JUST
poems and essays on September 11, 2001
The Awakening
John J. Hacker
[JJhacker@southernunited.com]
11 Sept 2001
Complacency bit the hand of Lady Liberty today.
She never knew what hit her.
Her colors, torn and tattered,
Still standing amid the death and destruction
Unify this wounded headstrong nation.
Resolute and unwilling to take it on the chin,
She rises in search of the many cowards
That so blatantly tarnished her virgin soil.
Her strength and vigor in these trying times
Prove to one and all
This will not stand.
Her heart weeps
As she mourns her many wounded and lost.
Tears roll down her cheeks
As she looks up to see her colors
The Red, White, and Blue blowing in the gentle breeze,
Her tears turn to rivers
As she remembers those she will never see again.
Her resilience overtakes her being.
Her determination, her spirit strong,
She pauses to ponder her next move,
Realizing without a doubt
They have......
Awakened a Sleeping Giant.
originally posted at the WriteGallery on January 20, 2002
Poem © 2002 John J. Hacker, all rights reserved
appears here by permission
