Two Thousand One - Nine Eleven

Two thousand one, nine eleven
Five thousand plus arrive in heaven. 
As they pass through the gate, 
Thousands more appear in wait. 

A bearded man with stovepipe hat
Steps forward saying,
"Lets sit, lets chat"

They settle down in seats of clouds
A man named Martin shouts out proud, 
"I have a dream!" and once he did 
The Newcomer said, "Your dream still lives." 

Groups of soldiers in blue and gray 
Others in khaki, and green then say, 
"We're from Bull Run, Yorktown, the Maine" 
The Newcomer said, "You died not in vain." 
 

From a man on sticks, one could hear 
"The only thing we have to fear. 
The Newcomer said, "We know the rest, 
trust us sir, we've passed that test." 

"Courage doesn't hide in caves 
You can't bury freedom, in a grave," 
The Newcomers had heard this voice before 
A distinct Yankees twang from Hyannisport shores. 

A silence fell within the mist 
Somehow the Newcomer knew that this 
Meant time had come for her to say 
What was in the hearts of the five thousand plus 
that day.

"Back on Earth, we wrote reports, 
Watched our children play in sports 
Worked our gardens, sang our songs 
Went to church and clipped coupons 
We smiled, we laughed, we cried, we fought 
Unlike you, great we're not" 
 

The tall man in the stovepipe hat 
Stood and said, "Don't talk like that! 
Look at your country, look and see 
You died for freedom, just like me" 

Then, before them all appeared a scene 
Of rubbled streets and twisted beams 
Death, destruction, smoke and dust 
And people working just 'cause they must 
Hauling ash, lifting stones, 
Knee deep in hell, 
But not alone 

"Look!  Blackman, Whiteman, Brownman, Yellowman 
Side by side helping their fellow man!" 
So said Martin, as he watched the scene 
"Even from nightmares, can be born a dream." 

Down below three firemen raised 
The colors high into ashen haze 
The soldiers above had seen it before 
On Iwo Jima back in '44 
 

The man on sticks studied everything closely 
Then shared his perceptions on what he saw mostly 
"I see pain, I see tears, 
I see sorrow - but I don't see fear." 

"You left behind husbands and wives 
Daughters and sons and so many lives 
are suffering now because of this wrong 
But look very closely.  You're not really gone. 

All of those people, even those who've never met you 
All of their lives, they'll never forget you 
Don't you see what has happened? 
Don't you see what you've done? 
You've brought them together, together as one. 

With that the man in the stovepipe hat said 
"Take my hand," and from there he led 
five thousand plus heroes, Newcomers to heaven 
On this day, two thousand one, nine one eleven.
 

~God Bless America~ 
 

Author of poem unknown to me ...
It is a beautiful poem, 
and it represents a lot of work and thought - 
and the writer should get lots of credit 
for a job well done.

If you know the author, please advise
so that I may give credit where credit is definitely due !!!

:)