Murder In Manhattan - Remembering 9/11
Here are some words I wrote about 9/11 on this day over twenty years ago.
Murder in Manhattan
Death came unseen one morning
Out of a beautiful clear blue sky
On friendly wings
Innocent lives snuffed out by fanatics
Kill and be killed
Fundamentalism
Alien to humanity or common sense
Brutal and wicked beyond belief
Shocking, horrible to behold
Beamed live to homes across the world
Loved ones consumed by fireballs
Never to say goodbye
Lost in the rubble or jumping for their lives
Desperate and fearful
How much did they suffer?
Only loss and despair for those left behind
And terrible anger
At the waste of so many lives
Can hope and dignity survive?
To triumph over such barbarism
Provocation and restraint
Honour your dead
Protect your people
Yes, but refuse to become like your enemies
Mark Irvine
Death came unseen one morning
Out of a beautiful clear blue sky
On friendly wings
Innocent lives snuffed out by fanatics
Kill and be killed
Fundamentalism
Alien to humanity or common sense
Brutal and wicked beyond belief
Shocking, horrible to behold
Beamed live to homes across the world
Loved ones consumed by fireballs
Never to say goodbye
Lost in the rubble or jumping for their lives
Desperate and fearful
How much did they suffer?
Only loss and despair for those left behind
And terrible anger
At the waste of so many lives
Can hope and dignity survive?
To triumph over such barbarism
Provocation and restraint
Honour your dead
Protect your people
Yes, but refuse to become like your enemies
Mark Irvine
September 11 2001
Murder in Manhattan (September 11, 2019)
I occasionally re-post on the blog site the words of a poem I wrote many years ago in the wake of 9/11.
I decided to do so again this year because of the news that America's biggest hypocrite, Donald J Trump, had invited Taliban leaders to Camp David on the very eve of 9/11.
Having had the bare-faced cheek to castigate President Barack Obama for even daring to talk to the Taliban back in 2012.
Murder in Manhattan (11/09/19)
I wrote a poem about the attack on America on September 11th 2001 shortly after watching the two hijacked civilian planes slam into the Twin Towers in New York.
I've taken to publishing what I wrote on the blog site every September, but I have to say the whole business is given added poignancy this year.
Especially after the ludicrous comments from Labour's Jeremy Corbyn in which he alleges some kind of 'moral equivalence' between the death of Osama bin Laden and the cold-blooded killing of thousands of innocent people (including many Muslims) by a gang of murderous Islamist fanatics.
I've taken to publishing what I wrote on the blog site every September, but I have to say the whole business is given added poignancy this year.
Especially after the ludicrous comments from Labour's Jeremy Corbyn in which he alleges some kind of 'moral equivalence' between the death of Osama bin Laden and the cold-blooded killing of thousands of innocent people (including many Muslims) by a gang of murderous Islamist fanatics.
As I watched the terrible events in New York on 9/11 2001 l wrote down my feelings at the time and here is what came out:
Murder in Manhattan
Death came unseen one morning
Out of a beautiful clear blue sky
On friendly wings
Innocent lives snuffed out by fanatics
Kill and be killed
Fundamentalism
Alien to humanity or common sense
Brutal and wicked beyond belief
Shocking, horrible to behold
Beamed live to homes across the world
Loved ones consumed by fireballs
Never to say goodbye
Lost in the rubble or jumping for their lives
Desperate and fearful
How much did they suffer?
Only loss and despair for those left behind
And terrible anger
At the waste of so many lives
Can hope and dignity survive?
To triumph over such barbarism
Provocation and restraint
Honour your dead
Protect your people
Yes, but refuse to become like your enemies
Mark Irvine
Murder in Manhattan
Death came unseen one morning
Out of a beautiful clear blue sky
On friendly wings
Innocent lives snuffed out by fanatics
Kill and be killed
Fundamentalism
Alien to humanity or common sense
Brutal and wicked beyond belief
Shocking, horrible to behold
Beamed live to homes across the world
Loved ones consumed by fireballs
Never to say goodbye
Lost in the rubble or jumping for their lives
Desperate and fearful
How much did they suffer?
Only loss and despair for those left behind
And terrible anger
At the waste of so many lives
Can hope and dignity survive?
To triumph over such barbarism
Provocation and restraint
Honour your dead
Protect your people
Yes, but refuse to become like your enemies
Mark Irvine
September 11 2001
