Frances Mac
At the 9/11 Memorial Observance
An adaptation of Donald Trump’s remarks on September 11, 2017
memory stripes our mettle
with savage resolve
the fuel of purpose
defiant and relentless
then we are breathing fire
given to smoke
we emerge
from rubble
with our darkness
like a storm smoldering
the innocent contained
behind the spark
of an electric fence
they fill anywhere
we hide them
stood in a corner
or ducked under skies
or bound and trudged
solemn in uniform
a long mile
their spirit to break
or burn or vanquish
pursuing some barbaric justice
whatever we need to erase
the fear or weaken her pitch
or keep close who perished
our grief can be destruction
puddles of sorrow
wept to emptiness
then turned to flame
the sear of anguish
black on our soul
Poems by Frances Mac have appeared in Epigraph Magazine, Burnt Pine Magazine, The MacGuffin, and Santa Clara Review. She hails from the Texas Hill Country and currently lives in Washington, DC.
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