United and American airlines
September 11—nine-one-one
One a symbol of military strength
The other of economic freedom
You brought your symbols to the table
Intending to shock with your literary eloquence
But we have symbols of our own
With greater impact and elegance.
Two-thousand six-hundred and five symbols (1)
Of American compassion, strength, spirit,
Not diminished, but revamped,
Their Eternal Flames heightened and relit.
Three-hundred and seventy-two symbols
Of world-wide tragedy and pain.
Your nineteen ideological symbols (2)
Not but lives lost in vain.
Three hundred and forty-three symbols (3)
Of American honor, courage, heroism,
Because while others ran for their lives
They, for the lives of others, ran in.
Flight Ninety-Three gave forty symbols (4)
Of American determination, bravery, heart.
They’re the reason your four symbols
Could not play your unknown part (5)
One-thousand seven-hundred seventy-six symbols (6)
Of American Freedom, hope, liberty.
Each symbol a foot of our metallic resistance,
To your ill-mannered, ill-fated, and tragic psyche.
But you encountered another literary colloquial,
One you could not have foreseen.
The dramatic irony of your situation,
Led to the waking of a resolute beast
We reacted in a way you never expected.
Like a stallion, we reared up and struck.
And while you roll on the ground in an unconscious stupor,
We’ve proven that intellect is more than symbols and luck.
(1) There were 2,605 American citizens killed in the attacks on 9/11
(2) There were 372 foreign nationals killed in the attacks, and 19 terrorists
(3) There were 343 firefighters killed in the World Trade Centers
(4) There were 40 victims on Flight 93, who revolted and crashed the plane in a Pennsylvania field
(5) It is still not known where the 4 hijackers on Flight 93 were headed before the passengers revolted
(6) The Freedom Tower is planned to be 1,776 feet tall (1776...think about it)
