remembering

i could see the world trade towers
off in the distance from my childhood bedroom window.
something like seven miles as the crow flies
from here to there
i remember when they went up.
they were like a beacon to me, calling out
it was as if they were saying to me: get out. get out. escape!
and i did. i thrived, in fact

then they came crashing down. and so did i.

since the summer of 2001
when i lost the use of my right arm
for several hours
my bob dole arm i called it,
it hung there like lead
we had just moved into our new house
it was a stressful time

so much has changed in these five years
how can we go from such hope for the future
to such despair
a world so full of promise and possiblities
to a world full of wars
and brain tumors

it just makes me shake my head
and hunger for the best
there is more for us out there
isn't there?
all is not lost
is it?

only time will tell