The crash of a building
That swept through the sky
Is a vision I’ll remember
‘til the day that I die.

A New York City landmark
That stood tall with pride
Destroyed by those monsters
The thousands who died.

They hijacked our planes
With a mission in mind
To destroy precious structures
That are one of a kind.

First the Twin Towers
Planes crashed through the frame
No value for life
Like a video game

The Pentagon was hit
In Washington D.C.
They aimed for the White House
But the heroic passengers set it free.

The strong stench of smoke
And the fear and the rage
And now a war against terrorism
Our Country will wage.

We never felt fear 
In our lifetime like this.
Life as we know it
May never again exist.

There’s good and there’s evil
In all paths we travel
But good shall prevail
As we sift through the gravel.

With each breath we take
I know that we’ll see 
That the U.S. of A.
Will stand strong for the free.

We have given so much 
To the tired and poor
This wonderful land
Always has an open door.

Yes, this door with a mat
That says, “Welcome, come in”
Was left opened too wide 
For Insanity and sin.

We have learned lessons
The hard way
That we cannot trust
Every Tom, Dick or Harry
‘Cause they’ll turn us to dust.

We must hope and pray
That the revenge that we seek
Makes enough of an impact
That we’re not viewed as meek.

So in our hearts we will vow
That our flag will fly high
For America The Beautiful
As we stand here and cry.

* * *

But tomorrows will blossom
In the fresh morning sun
And our grandchildren will learn
Of this war that was won.
 

Susan Marcus Rauch
Morganville, New Jersey
September 13, 2001