The Skies Fell Silent
Written in memory of all those who perished in the 9/11 terror attacks.
Ten years have passed
since a day of infamy
that shook the world
and the skies fell silent.
It was a day the world mourned
and a war against terror began.
However, for weeks after
the skies fell silent,
not only of planes,
but birds as well.
It was as if nature
was paying its respects
for those who perished as well.
It was not until the planes flew again
did we see birds again in the sky.
9 September 2011
Author’s Note:
My late brother brought the lack of birds to my attention. He made me search the skies for them and I did not see any. I have no explanation for the phenomena only that it happened.
DVH.
poem by David Harris
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Related quotes
Birds Never Sang Or Flew
The dawn awoke one morning
to start a day brand new
but there was something wrong
outside no birds sang or flew.
The skies that normally teamed with life
on the day before
now fell silent empty and abandoned
by all that flew there.
While in a great city
twin towers crumpled into dust,
its plumes of agony stretched
high up in the air for the world to see
that a new demon with a cancerous soul
was about to scourge the earth
to corrupt others to follow him
into the damnation of hell.
Was this the Armageddon that was prophesied,
in which the world as we know it died?
As the tentacles of this demon,
who dressed as a man
stretched around the world
penetrating every land.
Hence, the battle of good against evil began
in the day of infamy known simply as 9/11.
In the days that followed as no planes flew,
no birds sang or took to the skies
as if in a mark of respect from them to
for those who had fallen
in this demons evil plan.
13 October 2009
Author’s note:
Following the horror of 9/11 when all the planes around the world were grounded a strange phenomena occurred. For all the time the planes were grounded the world seemed absent of birds. My late brother brought it to my attention and when I looked, he was right. I did not see or hear a bird until the planes few again.
poem by David Harris
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Remembering 9/11
September 11,2001
Starting the day
With the rising sun
We rushed around
At the break of day
How many of us
Remembered to pray?
The day began as all days do
No differently for me and you
The rush of traffic,
The clank of trains,
The ringing of phones,
The roar of planes.
Then horror struck
Terror from the sky
Buildings fell,
We questioned why
We stopped, we watched
As planes collide
The gasps, the screams
To God we cried.
September 11,2011
We mourn our loved ones
Now in Heaven
The years have passed
Though things have changed
Routines returned
Lives rearranged
Have we truly
Changed our lives?
Do we honor daily
Those who died?
Do we now remember
At the start of the day
To take the time
To stop and pray?
poem by R.L. Kerst
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A Year of Anniversaries
This year is a year of anniversaries,
and I remember where I was,
and what I was doing on each of them,
when the news came through.
The death of two famous people
who had an effect on our lives
and a diabolical act of terrorism
one could never forget.
That stunned nations around the world.
Thirty years ago,
the world was stunned by the passing of a king.
The king of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley.
Although his voice was silenced
on a bathroom floor,
he left with us all a legacy
of his music that will live eternally.
Ten years ago the world lost a Princess
in a car crash in Paris.
A Royal Princess of the likes no one had ever seen before,
whose gentleness and kindness
with everyone she met
will always be remembered.
She was Diana, Princess of Wales,
but she was more than that,
she was a Princess to the world.
She reached out to the poor and rich alike.
She was mourned by millions across every land.
The legacy she left is to befriend everyone.
Then six years ago, something happened.
It drew together nations,
who sometimes were at odds with one another,
to defeat an enemy
whose fingers stretched across many lands.
Loved ones of many nations mourned
when the twin towers crumbled to the ground
in a diabolical act of terror.
Planes were ordered out of the sky,
and for days after as I remember
I never saw a single bird fly.
Silence drew a cloud around the world,
on that day of infamy,
11 September 2001.
Images flew around the world to television screens.
Everyone looked in disbelief
at the pictures that they saw.
The unimaginable had happened.
Terror had struck
the corner stone of freedom
with one almighty blow.
The world was a sad place that day
as many millions cried.
Now the anniversaries have rolled around.
Memories of what I was doing on those days,
come to the forefront of my mind,
of how I felt,
where I was,
when for a few minutes around the world
time stood still in my life.
So I ask as you finish this poem to take a minute of your time to remember all those who lost their lives and those who risked their lives to save people most didn’t know six years ago today.
poem by David Harris
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Be My Rain
When you fell into my arms
Appearing so frail, if you ever were
And you told me a thousand things
I've never dreamt about
When your eyes fell grey
Could it be I made them shine for awhile?
Now you're gone, as if you ever meant to stay
Be my rain
Be my rain
To wash the pain and the truth away
Be my rain
Be my rain
Embrace my world, everlasting
We were talking through the night
No one could say a word
Of what had passed or should be said
As if time stood silent,
The dawn never came
And the skies are empty
Since we stopped
Far away,
We cannot share the love within us
You're far away,
And rising up to start
again
song performed by by Zeraphine
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Our Country
Their country treated them well,
Like an animal is kept a good pet.
Forms of employment missed us and wedded us,
Concern for the violent debt whets our appetite.
We see more landings of aircraft than anyone,
Because we are near an airport.
Five planes have concerned us most,
The very ones near our home just an hour ago.
We saw flight like that of birds;
Birds are beautiful, and so are we,
But do we see the air planes and their noise more often?
Our country is concerned with us
And other countries.
poem by Naveed Akram
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June Picture
June Picture
In the enchanted dell, where grass is forever green,
I saw a carpet of summer birds, yellow as real butter
before it was made low fat to suit a slimming fad.
They took off, dispersed flew slowly on silent wings;
amongst thorny bushes that are seven hued green,
waiting for a lumbering troll to pass.
Last time I saw a yellow summer bird, it was sallow,
late September it had lived too long, sat on the sill
rain fell and it as soaked; opened the window to let
it in, could sit by the fire till spring. Too late, in my
hand it turned into fluff, blew dust off my hand and
I saw each particle disperse and fly on silent wings.
Butterfly (summer bird.)
poem by Oskar Hansen
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All Clear
They swarmed the skies like angry hornets,
the war birds in the air above.
There were so many,
at times they blocked out the sun.
Then their parcels of death,
started raining all around,
killing the innocent on the ground.
The earth shook, buildings crumbled,
hysteria filled each breath of air.
Footsteps ran in every direction,
away from the falling terror.
Speech was drowned,
in crashes and crackling flames.
Within in minutes nothing looked the same,
the horizon looked crooked and jagged,
dust and smoke burnt the eyes
of anyone standing near.
Then a blanket of silence fell,
as a solitary siren pierced the air,
with the sound of all clear.
(17 October 2007/My interpretation of what it might have been like during the London Blitz of the 1940’s.)
poem by David Harris
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Blue Skies Bring Tears
Unleash the armageddon
So all the children go to heaven
I sit by quiet still
With their pictures on my eyes
You'll draw the guns your given
Write down the words as written
And never disturb the presense
Of resurrection touch
And it's about time
It's about drawing near
Blue skies bring tears
Blue skies bring tears
Blue skies bring tears
Descend the darkened stairway
Make hate with plastic playmates
And fire out remaining traces
Of your self esteem
Mainline the deepest secrets
Lick clean the dirty fingers
I am a stranger to you
As you are to yourself
And it's about time
It's about fear
Blue skies bring tears
Don't you want me (don't want you)
Cause I await cityside
We'll watch the seas start to die
Blue skies bring tears
Take me inside your body
Blue skies bring tears
Cover me with your soul
Blue skies bring tears
To the darkest reasons
Blue skies bring tears
Is where I wish to go
Blue skies bring tears
You are the sweetest flower
Blue skies bring tears
That I have ever devoured
Blue skies bring tears
I ask for nothing given
Blue skies bring tears
For nothing in return
Blue skies bring tears
Blue skies bring tears
Blue skies bring tears
Blue skies bring tears
Blue skies bring tears
Blue skies bring tears
Blue skies bring tears
Blue skies bring tears
Blue skies bring tears
Blue skies bring tears
Blue skies bring tears
Blue skies bring tears
Blue skies bring tears
Blue skies bring tears
Blue skies bring tears
Blue skies bring tears
song performed by by Smashing Pumpkins from Machina: The Machines Of God
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Where Are the Birds of Wenzhou, Bei Bei
‘The skies are empty and grey at dawn,
They’re empty and brown at noon,
Where are the birds of Wenzhou, Bei Bei
Deep in the afternoon?
Even at dusk when the air is still
Or the cool breath heaves from the sea,
I wait for the beat of wings then, Bei Bei
Rushing to comfort me.’
‘The birds were once when the paddy fields
Ran down by the river tides,
When the sky was blue and the air was clean
And the trees reached up to the stars.
The birds were here when the skies were clear
No buildings blocked the view...’
‘But where are the birds of Wenzhou, Bei Bei
Why have they gone from you? ’
‘They left when the smog came rolling in
And the insects died on the ground,
When the grass turned white and the acid rain
Caused all the trees to drown.
They left when the river turned yellow mud
And the fields died under the road,
When men built towers of thirty floors,
They left the town in droves.’
The skies are empty and grey at dawn,
They’re empty and brown at noon.
‘The birds of Wenzhou took their nests
And travelled to old Hangzhou.
They went to live by a wondrous lake
That tales will tell, is blue...’
‘Where are the birds of Wenzhou, Bei Bei...
Have they forsaken you? ’
8 November 2005
poem by David Lewis Paget
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Important Birds
Important findings have been made,
Disorders are realised for the people.
Geese shall sound in the skies
To enlighten a few who listen.
Many times a day, the sounds of birds
Arrive and shake the disorder.
An albatross hurts me further,
An eagle has no home here, but further.
Let importance be the guide not the wind,
For wind is reluctant in the eyes of us.
The sky has abandoned the birds at night,
Or have the birds abandoned the night-sky?
Geese and swans are beautiful birds,
But where are all the seagulls?
poem by Naveed Akram
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Somewhere Over The Rainbow
Somewhere over the rainbow
(h. arlen/e.y. harburgh)
Somewhere over the rainbow way up high
Theres a land that Ive heard of once in a lullaby
Somewhere over the rainbow skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true
Someday I wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where troubles melt like lemon drops
Away above the chimney tops
Thats where you find me
Somewhere over the rainbow blue birds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why then, oh why cant i
(instrumental)
Somewhere over the rainbow blue birds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why then, oh why cant i
If happy little blue birds fly
Beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why, cant i
song performed by by Lea Salonga
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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History Of the Airplane
And the Wright brothers said they thought they had invented
something that could make peace on earth
(if the wrong brothers didn’t get hold of it)
when their wonderful flying machine took off at Kitty Hawk
into the kingdom of birds but the parliament of birds was freaked out
by this man-made bird and fled to heaven
And then the famous Spirit of Saint Louis took off eastward and
flew across the Big Pond with Lindy at the controls in his leather
helmet and goggles hoping to sight the doves of peace but he did not
Even though he circled Versailles
And then the famous Yankee Clipper took off in the opposite
direction and flew across the terrific Pacific but the pacific doves
were frighted by this strange amphibious bird and hid in the orient sky
And then the famous Flying Fortress took off bristling with guns
and testosterone to make the world safe for peace and capitalism
but the birds of peace were nowhere to be found before or after Hiroshima
And so then clever men built bigger and faster flying machines and
these great man-made birds with jet plumage flew higher than any
real birds and seemed about to fly into the sun and melt their wings
and like Icarus crash to earth
And the Wright brothers were long forgotten in the high-flying
bombers that now began to visit their blessings on various Third
Worlds all the while claiming they were searching for doves of
peace
And they kept flying and flying until they flew right into the 21st
century and then one fine day a Third World struck back and
stormed the great planes and flew them straight into the beating
heart of Skyscraper America where there were no aviaries and no
parliaments of doves and in a blinding flash America became a part
of the scorched earth of the world
And a wind of ashes blows across the land
And for one long moment in eternity
There is chaos and despair
And buried loves and voices
Cries and whispers
Fill the air
Everywhere
poem by Lawrence Ferlinghetti
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From Slumber
The sun came beckoning
through my window today,
tempting me to come outside.
Blue skies stretched to the horizons
breathing in a beautiful new day
beholding to our senses and eyes.
Outside the fresh air
swirled around me
as the Sunday morning sunshine
warmed my tired bones,
rejuvenating them
for all the trials to come.
Birds chattered in the trees
while other creatures stirred
from their silent sleep
for a new day of living had begun
under the blue skies
and the sun's warming rays.
17 June 2012
poem by David Harris
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Commingle of seasons and love
As i ventured back to love,
A new dawn and a whole new world through my eyes seen,
I felt the tranquil beauty of nature,
I 'am in love again,
Nature seems to show likeness,
The passerine birds sings in joy,
Daffodils and lilies bloomers, dazzled and waved,
The sun shone her warmth on me,
Its spring time,
I ventured to explore the beauty of nature,
The sun rosed up and fell again,
The birds sang and was silent,
The world sleeps,
The stars displayed glitterness,
The winds blew strong and disappeared,
The moon's always wane,
The greeness tends to fade,
The leaves feel off the trees,
I ventured through all these in love with her and nature,
Everywhere i look around is white,
The sun's shinning weak,
Its all white and cold in here,
Spring's gone, summer's gone, autumn's gone,
Winter is here to stay,
Silence, quietness and a gentle breeze,
In the cold light of the day i am,
The ponds freezes and solidifies,
Love sings wintry songs,
With a cold shoulder she tapped goodbye,
I breath the dewy air,
As dewdrops fell on me,
I am frosty, benumbed,
The air in me wreak coldness,
And so is the moment without her,
As i stand alone,
Flowers died, birds don't nests,
The living are indoors,
I am the only one outside,
Lost in wilderness,
In the fields of cold winter,
Mourning the love lost.
poem by Sukkum Chang
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Pink Skies Tonight, Shepards Delight
Pink skies tonight
is a shepard's delight
to me its a heart filling sight
swirling colours crack out through sun's light
suffocating clouds coil into a rainbow swirl
brilliant shades of gold turn silver to the world
as stars take their righful places in the sky
a dreamy sight to anyone's eyes
pinker planes turn darker still
with the clouds drinking in their fill
the skies grow darker untill
pink skies vanished, stars to replace
clouds turned invisible, wished away in haste
it had all began and faded far too soon
to replaced with the darkness of a circle
surrounding the moon
poem by Rachel BaByBeAr Anderson
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A World Without Birds
In years from now will the children of the future on warm evenings in the prime of Spring
On trees and bushes in groves, woods and parklands when flowers are blooming hear the wild birds sing
For a World without birds would be sad to live in and sad to learn that they are becoming rare
These are sad times for people who love Nature and who for Nature's creatures genuinely do care,
A World without birds to think of even painful something that one would not rather contemplate
For birds seem an integral part of Nature the poets and painters them do celebrate
They have been in the World for perhaps longer than humans they have evolved from the dinosaur age
Humans even use them for their entertainment they keep them in an aviary or a cage
But birds should never be held in captivity as Nature's creatures meant to live naturally
They are not meant to be captives of humans in Nature's World they should live wild and free
For bird lovers it must be disappointing to know their numbers are on the decline
So nice to hear them singing in the gardens when flowers are blooming in the Spring sunshine
The demise of birds the thought even unpleasant a sadder World without them it would be
They are so much an integral part of Nature at least that is how it does seem to me.
poem by Francis Duggan
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There is still something to see
The artistic avenues of paradise
Seem to hover before me
In nature are the wise
There's still something to see
In those streams, in the tree
of fine dreams, of silent glee
There is still something to see
Meaning to show how I'd be
Basking in the sun's glory
Risking my thoughts to settle
Reading I am, a story
Of some shepherds and cattle
Speaking, the sound is admiration
Listening, with loves determination
In those skies is inspiration
I'd say darn this education
Education thought me no words
That I could utter here
The songs of the birds
get silent comments to hear
There is still something to see
poem by Vittal Vandavasu
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Love & Solitude
Skies are overcast, windy and cold
Snowflakes falling like birds in troves.
I look through the window of solitude in soul
Sitting in my hotel abode.
Longing to see you, wishing you were here
Sitting beside me with never ending tales
Reminiscing the old times …the bygone days…
the interesting places we travelled through
and enjoyed the stays.
I just saw the gleam of your smile
Like silent lightening through the darkened skies
No, you never left me, I was never alone
Memories in solitude make life go on.
poem by Tasadduq Hussain Ejaz
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Silence In The Sky
As I step outside
there is a silence in the sky.
The absence of planes
isn’t the only thing I cannot see.
There is an absence of birds as well,
there are a few,
but not as many as I used to see.
It is strangely quiet,
almost unnerving in ways.
The last time it felt like this
was when 9/11 happened.
Now a volcano in Iceland
and the sky is silent again.
No birdsong to greet the morning rise,
no flutter of tiny wings before my eyes.
The sun is out, the sky is blue,
but only silence fills the air.
18 April 2010
poem by David Harris
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The Storm
The clouds turned to gray
The air turned to cold
And I knew by that day
Some evil would unfold.
It arrived without a warning
Along with the pounding rain
And it was gone by the morning
As violently as it came.
But for that night I lived in terror
That night I lived in fright
With every sound I heard
With every flash of light.
Violently came the wind
Terrorizing with no form
Then came the thunder and lightning,
Arriving, was the storm.
Many trees I saw bent
Then God clapped his mighty hand
While many trees were refusing to fall,
But then, a tree didn't stand.
Rushing came the wind
Pounding came the rain
Crashing came the thunder
Quickly, came my pain.
Underneath my bed I hid
From the terror of the storm
And in pain and terror I cried
In horror and pain I moaned.
That night I lived in terror
That night I lived in fright
With every sound I heard
With every flash of light.
And the rain just kept falling
More tears I began to weep
For the wind just kept calling,
Then that night; I fell asleep.
Then morning she finally came
I awoke to the sound of peace and birds
The sound of thunder and rain was gone
Which had awoke my sleeping world.
Then outside towards the sky I stared,
To the clouds God he did call
I saw Gods hand moving the wind
Commanding the rain not to fall.
Then the sun began to shine
So on my knees I fell to pray
Then again, I began to cry
Thanking God; the storm had went away.
poem by Randy McClave
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